Don’t Deep Six Your Career Before It Starts-Avoid Resume Fraud — Dave’s Diary

Throw that mortar board hat into the air!  Do your best William Wallace impersonation and yell, “freedom”!  Now relax for maybe two seconds and then start looking for a job.  Congratulations graduate, the real world awaits.  And let’s be real when I say “real” world—I mean real as in only real facts on your resume.Your job hunting document is not your final assignment in creative writing 300.  According to ADP, a human capital management and research firm, 46 percent of job applicants commit some form of resume fraud.  In addition they report  78% of resumes are misleading and 27% of U.S. workers have been fired due to resume lies.

So are we a country of liars or what?  ADP’s work seems to indicate it’s more a matter of trying to be

competitive but can result in some jobseekers doing something that is not only unethical but also can be illegal.

The top 10 resume lies, according to Marquet International, a security consulting firm:

1. Stretching work dates
2. Inflating past accomplishments and skills
3. Enhancing job titles and responsibilities
4. Exaggerating educational background
5. Inventing periods of "self-employment" to cover up unemployment
6. Omitting past employment
7. Faking credentials
8. Falsifying reasons for leaving prior employment
9. Providing false references
10. Misrepresenting a military record

Before you commit resume fraud, consider this:

• Lying about your education is illegal in some states. You not only face a stiff penalty, but also a loss of your personal credibility.
• Employers in every state can fire you with the snap of a finger if they catch you in any resume lie.
• The chance of getting caught in a resume lie is very high. Thanks to the digital age, verifying information is easier and faster than ever.
• Nearly 96 percent of all employers conduct background checks on prospective employees.