Yes, you read the headline correctly. According to the HireRight 2017 Employment Reading Benchmark Survey in which over 4,000 Human Resource professionals were surveyed, 85% of respondents reported finding a lie or misrepresentation on a resume and/or job application. This is reportedly happening with all levels of applicants. The survey notes a situation where a Chairman of a defense manufacturer resigned after it was disclosed that he spent time in prison for an armed-robbery spree and an attempted prison escape. Your parents, college professors and mentors told you that when your resume isn’t truthful, it could cost you the job. So why are so many applicants “embellishing,” and what can you do if you were one of them?
Oftentimes people make their resumes more “interesting” because they’re afraid they won’t be considered for the job if they only have three of the five requested qualifications. This Careerbuilder survey showed that 43 percent of the hiring managers and HR professionals surveyed WOULD consider a candidate if they only had three of the five required qualifications.
A little polish never hurt anyone, right? Wrong! In addition to it not being necessary, stretching the truth in hopes of getting an interview has the potential to backfire in multiple ways. Hiring managers and HR professionals follow up on things like the dates and job titles you have on your resume. These are easy things to verify, and will work against you immediately if you aren’t being honest. This can provide enough justification for them to pass on your resume in favor of a similarly qualified candidate who was 100 percent honest. If by some miracle you are hired for the position and it is discovered that you lied on your resume, you can almost guarantee you’ll be terminated for it. These high level executives were publicly called out after their resume handiwork landed them in hot water. While your indiscretion may not make national headlines, it can negatively impact your reputation and follow you throughout your job search and career.
Here are some ways to deal with inaccurate information on your resume.
- Update your resume
When you get to the in person interview, bring the latest copy of your resume with you. When your hiring manager asks you what has changed in the new draft, keep it generic. Explain that you noticed some details that you had double-checked, and this version has them correct. If you’re forced to go into detail here, you HAVE to be honest.
- Take yourself out of the running
If you spent time in jail, and lied about it on the application like the example from the HireRight survey, explain that you are grateful for the opportunity, but you have to remove yourself from consideration. You likely won’t have to give too much detail. The person hiring you may try to sell you on the position because they might think you’re no longer interested, but you’ll want to gracefully tell them that your situation has changed and you no longer want to be considered for the position. If asked whether you’ve accepted another position, be honest, say no, and thank them again for their time and consideration. The last thing you want to do is answer any of their questions dishonestly in an effort to cover up your original lie. Honesty is key!
- Be honest
This option is going to be uncomfortable. You can tell the truth. You can tell the person interviewing you what is inaccurate about your resume. If you explain that you overlooked it, you run the risk of them perceiving you as lacking attention to detail. If you say that you lied, that’s likely going to get you disqualified on the spot. The best chance for saving yourself is to explain that there were pieces of information you double checked after submitting your resume, and state the correct information. The downside to this explanation, arguably the best of the worst explanations, is that they might think you’re being dishonest anyway.
The bottom line: you should be honest, don’t get yourself into this situation, and you won’t have to weigh which scenario will have the most positive outcome. If you’re honest about your career path on your resume and you don’t get the job, there will be another opportunity, and with that opportunity you won’t have to worry if the interviewer knows about your previous resume indiscretion with a previous potential employer.