what to do if youre caught with resume fraud
Whether it be a large lie or a picayune lie, dishonesty can cause issues especially if it's on your resume. Even the smallest of fibs—similar fudging your dates of employment—can have serious professional person and personal consequences.
What Constitutes Lying on Your Resume?
Lying on your resume comes in three forms: lies of commission, lies of omission, and embellishment.
A lie of commission is a fake statement. Proverb you lot went to Harvard when you didn't, claiming you have a master'south degree when y'all don't, or saying yous can write code when you can't are all lies of commission.
Lies of omission aren't lies as much as they are not telling the whole truth. By omitting part of the truth, you return your claim false. For instance, saying that you went to Land U is fine as long every bit you did. Not graduating from Land U is as well OK, unless hiring managers assume you received your degree from State U and you never clarify that you did not receive a degree.
Finally, an embellishment is when y'all overstate your qualifications or accomplishments on your resume. Talking about your leadership abilities is expected. But, saying that yous take management feel when that feel is limited to being a campsite advisor is crossing a line.
Why Do People Lie on Their Resume?
Lying on a resume is surprisingly common. A 2020 survey of over ane,000 U.S. workers found that a staggering 93% of respondents know someone who lied on their resume. The most common resume lies were related to:
- Experience (27%)
- Skills (eighteen%)
- Duties (17%)
While only 31% were caught, 65% of them were either not hired or fired from their role. But 36% of respondents admitted that they had lied on their ain resume. Of those who confessed, they were nearly probable to lie in these resume categories:
- Experience (25%)
- Duties (21%)
- Employment dates (16%)
- Skills (xv%)
- Bacon (10%)
When asked why they lied on their resume, respondents listed the following reasons:
- Long period of unemployment (37%)
- Wanted a college bacon for the position (18%)
- Didn't think they would get caught (18%)
- Non qualified for the position (17%)
The Negative Impacts of Lying on Your Resume
For starters, any trust you had congenital up with your employer (or potential employer) is likely gone. And, if for some reason you weren't defenseless for a while, the goodwill and possible references you may accept had at that task are too gone.
Because you never know who knows whom, you lot may have also damaged your chances to build futurity networking connections. People may exist more hesitant to connect with yous or offer you assist going frontwards.
Finally, consider that people volition wonder about your ethics. Piece of work aside, integrity matters and and so does your reputation. You've worked hard to get to where you are, so don't put things similar this on the line.
Lying on Your Resume: Legal Consequences
Though your resume is non a legal document, many applications have a place for you to sign or bank check that says that you adjure that everything on your application is truthful. If information technology turns out that is non the case, there are other possible legal problems you tin can confront if your lies are discovered.
For starters, you lot will probable be fired. Even if you lot never checked a box attesting that your application was entirely truthful, nearly states have employment-at-will laws on the books. That means that an employer can terminate your employment at any fourth dimension and for any reason.
Depending on the circumstances, y'all tin can likewise be liable for civil damages if your lying created legal issues for your employer. For example, if you're an builder and your company was sued due to mistakes you made on edifice drawings (and you lied most your certification or power to do the task), your at present-former employer can come up after yous for the damages.
Lastly, though rare, it is possible you could face criminal charges depending on what you lot've lied near. Theoretically, you could be charged with fraud or other crimes, depending on your lies.
You Don't Have to Lie on Your Resume (Examples)
The thing about lying on your resume, though, is that it's really not necessary! There are plenty of ways to smooth over elements of your work history you'd rather not focus on.
The Career Coaches at FlexJobs have a few tips on how to non prevarication on your resume (across, "Don't do information technology!"). We spoke with Cidnye Work and Denise Ingledue-Lopez to go their good insights on how to be truthful on your resume, no matter the circumstances.
You Don't Have a Caste
Many times a job description states that a bachelor'due south caste or college is required for the role. Ingledue-Lopez reminds chore seekers that "job postings are a 'wish list' and you don't have to run across every requirement."
And then while you may not have the right caste, you tin can still apply for the job by pointing out the other relevant experiences and skills that make you an excellent candidate for the role.
Work says that in that location are two means to approach your state of affairs. "If you've taken some coursework toward a caste but didn't terminate, you could say 'Coursework taken toward bachelor's degree,' to show that you've taken some classes. If y'all haven't taken any courses just accept a lot of related work experience, you could say 'Extensive piece of work experience in lieu of bachelor's caste'."
In both of these instances, y'all're being honest about your degree status while highlighting your relevant coursework or experience, which helps position you as a qualified candidate.
You Don't Have the Right Feel
Sometimes you don't have the exact experience that an employer is looking for. But, remember, the job description is merely a wish list. That said, don't prevarication about the experience you lot practice have in society to get the chore.
Piece of work explains. "Maxim that you assisted, helped, or had a part in 10 is fine (like managing a project). Discuss your specific function, but do non say that you did everything on your ain." Talk about how you worked collaboratively with the team to develop and implement the project timelines. This keeps your description honest and all the same demonstrates you take the desired skill fix.
You Have a Gap on Your Resume
Whether you left a job because yous wanted to or because you had to, plenty of people accept employment gaps on their resume. You may be inclined to stretch the dates "a petty" to make full in that gap, simply this would authorize as lying on your resume.
Ingledue-Lopez advises job seekers to exist honest and upfront about the gap. "Use a career suspension for those dates," and talk most any classes you took, volunteering yous did, or freelance and contract work you may take performed.
Honesty Is the All-time Policy
When it comes to your resume, the truth is always the safest bet.
If you want help with your resume, consider scheduling a personalized resume review with our career coaches to aid your resume exist equally effective as information technology can be.
Book Your Resume Review >>>
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Source: https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/lying-on-resume-consequences-workarounds/
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