Leadership

Resume Lies: How They'll Catch Up With You

By Matthew TheLadders

Updated on: April 20, 2010 / 3:45 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

Last week, I discussed some recent coverage Lisa Vaas has done for TheLadders on precisely how fibbing on resumes and in interviews can catch up with job seekers. The line between self-promotion and outright deception can sometimes get cloudy, especially when you're hungry for employment. But remember that HR departments are in the business of telling truth from fiction, and they have an arsenal of tools at their disposal.

Lisa recently spoke with Accu-Screen Inc., a Tampa, Fla., company that's been screening job applicants since 1994. According to the company, 8 percent of accomplishments on the resumes it screens turn out to be bogus, and 18 percent include fake companies or lie about companies that are no longer in business. Lisa's article lists the seven most common resume lies Accu-Screen encounters and the ways the company ferrets them out. Here are a few:

Job title

Resumes magically give promotions more often than do employers, according to Accu-Screen's data. A fudged job title often goes hand-in-hand with inflated salary on job applications.

Where they'll find the truth: A thorough reference check.

Education (e.g., bogus degrees)

Accu-Screen estimates that 16 percent of academic degrees and institutions listed on resumes are falsified. Job seekers also falsify 15 percent of technical skills and certifications. That includes the job seeker graduating him- or herself, claiming a degree when none was earned. Some dishonest job seekers go so far as to steal another person's identity by borrowing their educational credentials.

Where they'll find the truth: Background screening includes verifying educational claims with universities and other training facilities.

"Ghost" company (self-owned business)

Just because you spent a few weeks putting a new roof on your mother's house doesn't mean you owned and ran your own carpentry and construction business for a number of years. According to Accu-Screen, applicants are currently falsifying 18 percent of past employers by making up fictitious companies or by falsifying or exaggerating information about a company that's gone out of business. Job seekers may also use this tactic to cover up employment gaps.

Where they'll find the truth: Legitimate businesses can be verified by business licenses or DBA (doing business as) filings. Background checks will also uncover criminal records.