This issue often comes up in resumes and interviews. The question “Can I lie on my resume?” has been asked by many job seekers, but the answer is not always clear.
In fact, some employers actually overlook this lying fault because they are desperate for talent.
But while it may seem like an easy way out if you don’t want to admit any weaknesses or mistakes in your past work experience or educational background, there are also some downsides.
Many job seekers have been caught lying or falsifying the data on their resumes and have paid dearly for it.
Thus, this article, How to lie on your resume and get away with it, gives you an insight into the little facts people miss when they lie on resumes and how you can covert them.
Article Road Map
Why People Lie On Resumes
Ever heard of the saying, “the right skill-set, but wrong certification?” Many people today develop the right skills to succeed at any job.
However, the certification, which tells more about their resume, does not back up their capabilities. Among many reasons why people lie include:
Pressure To Present Yourself In The Best Possible Light
You can avoid lying on your CV by keeping it short and simple. If you have a lot of experience, the best way to do this is to highlight the most relevant parts of your work experience.
If you do find yourself tempted to embellish your past experiences, remember that employers want people who are genuine and honest—and they won’t trust anyone who lies about their past.
Read also: How To Put Poster Presentation On Resume (Best Guide 2022)
Sometimes The Truth Isn’t Good Enough
You have to sell yourself. This can be the hardest part of writing your resume, especially if you’re an introvert who doesn’t like talking about your accomplishments or achievements.
But even if you’re not particularly comfortable with it, there are ways to make your skills shine through in any way possible so that employers will want to hire you.
Some Lies Have Become So Common That They Are Expected
There are many reasons why someone would lie about their experience and skills. They haven’t done things as well as they say.
They want to exaggerate their abilities so that the employer believes in them, or maybe there was something embarrassing in their past that made them feel ashamed of themselves.
How To Lie On Your Resume And Get Away With It
Always Take Credit
The most important thing to remember when writing your resume is to always take credit for anything you can. Don’t be modest, but don’t be arrogant, either.
Make sure that the reader knows who did what and why it was important enough for you to mention it on your resume. When talking about yourself or others in an interview, always say “we” rather than “I.”
This shows that there are several people involved in making decisions at work. If someone else did something great, talk about how their ideas helped improve things.
Keep It As Realistic As Possible
Always keep in mind that a lie is supposed to be believable, not confusing.
If your resume looks like it was written by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing and has no idea where their information came from, then people will question whether or not the information is true. How do you avoid this?
First and foremost, keep it simple. Don’t make your resume sound exaggerated. Do not use words like “insightful” or “creative” when describing yourself if you don’t actually have any insight into anything at all.
Also, avoid anything that could be refuted by a quick Google search, including making up awards.
Talk About Your Involvement
It would help if you talked about your involvement. Talk about your responsibilities, your impact on the company and/or team, and the results you achieved.
If possible, include specific details about what it was like to be part of this project. This shows that you were a valuable asset to that team or organization.
It’s also important to remember that there are many ways for employers to tell if someone is lying on their resume:
- They can ask them directly if they know any real-world examples where they lied in their application materials (this usually happens when candidates apply through an employment agency)
- They might look at how detailed an applicant’s resume is compared with other applicants’ resumes (if an applicant has too many things listed under one section, like “research skills,” without much explanation as to why those particular skills should be required).
Deal With Statistics
If you’re going to lie, it’s important to provide statistics. Statistics are numbers that can be used to back up your claims, and they’re easy for employers and recruiters to understand.
The best way to use statistics on your resume is by providing numbers that are specific and explainable, for example:
- “Our company had 100% employee retention last year” or “We increased our revenue by 20% over the previous year.”
These kinds of statements feel believable because they give concrete examples of what happened in the past. They also avoid being too vague (“our company grew”) or too specific (“our revenue increased by $100 million”).
- “In 2010, we had 100 new employees join our team, which brought us a total employee count of 200 people within one year.”
This statement doesn’t tell me anything about how many people joined or left during this period; instead, it just says something like, “we added three people per month.”
Be Confident And Comfortable With The Details Of Your Lie
Try to be confident and comfortable with the details of your lie. You should be able to answer questions about your lie.
If you’re uncomfortable with your lie, it will show on the page and make it look like you’re lying when there’s no reason for that to be true.
Only Include One Lie Per Resume
When you’re writing your resume, getting carried away with the idea of being honest and open is easy. But don’t be too hasty. Only include one lie per resume; make sure it’s good.
- Don’t lie about everything in your career: If you worked at Microsoft for ten years and then moved on to Google after they acquired them both, this may not work in an interview situation where they ask questions based on what they know about their employees.
- Don’t lie about everything in education: If someone asks why you took certain classes or attended certain events during college (e.g., “Why did I take this class?”), how do you answer without sounding like an idiot?
Lying about classes can also lead people down other paths. Don’t lie about everything in your personal life, either. If someone asks why there are no pictures of yourself on social media sites, don’t say, “It wasn’t allowed.”
Follow Up Lies During The Interview
When you are asked a question, your first thought is probably to answer truthfully. But sometimes it’s OK to lie.
For example, suppose you’re applying for an entry-level position at an accounting firm and want to impress the hiring manager with your skillset but don’t have any relevant experience or education.
What would be more convincing than saying that?
It’s up to you how much detail about the nature of this job opportunity is necessary at this point, and maybe there’s even some room here: “I really want this position because” or “I’m looking forward to working here because”
Suppose someone asks whether or not something happened during your previous job. In that case, it is recommended that you avoid giving too many details unless directly asked about them by someone else who knows those details already.
Otherwise, someone might think they know all about it already just from hearing rumors.
Note: Remember that the key to a good lie always rests on the details. Therefore always remember the details of your lies as they might be needed even after you get the job.
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Conclusion
Employers want what is best for their company or organization, so they try to employ capable hands as possible.
If your certification does not do justice to what your hands can do, well, it is left for you to make yourself indispensable to the people you work for.
Employers might likely retain you even after some shortcomings because they trust the work of your hands.
We do hope this article does justice to your inquiry on how to lie on your resume and get away with it.