Leadership

Is It OK to Lie (Slightly Exaggerate) on Your Resume?

By Sean Silverthorne

Updated on: May 22, 2008 / 2:24 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

The answer to the above question is, no, of course not.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's take a peek at your resume. If I were to look at it, would I find:

A previous job description or title that you think reflects reality more than the official title you actually held?
An academic degree that you were a few units short of receiving?
A slight inflation of the number of people who worked for you because, after all, you did direct that cross-function team and they sort of reported to you?

If your curriculum vitae is a little frothy with the facts, you have a lot company -- more than 50 percent of people lie on their resume, according to the excellent The Ethics of Resume Writing by business ethics writer Clinton D. Korver.

He presents some sniff tests you can use to weigh the ethical basis of your claims, including the old standard, The Front Page Test ("Would you think the same way if your accomplishment in question were reported on the front page of the Wall Street Journal? Or your prior employer's internal newsletter?").

So tell us truthfully, have you taken liberties on your resume? Have you as an employer fired anyone for falsifying their work experience?

(With millions of newly graduated degree holders about to send out their first resumes to prospective employers, we wish you good luck and keep it real. Literally.)

Related Reading: Develop An Effective Resume