[Amazing] 25 Ridiculous Lies People Write In Their Resumes
A lot of people are tempted to include untruth into their resume to make them sound more experienced and qualified. According to the recent study by the Society of Human Managers, more than 50% of resumes include lies. You can learn more interesting facts from this helpful infographic and check the top 25 Ridiculous Lies People Write In Their Resumes!
Feature Image: Flazingo Photos via Flickr
Increasing Timelines
source: resumewritinglab.com
People are inclined to believe that working less than a year doesn’t look attractive in the eyes of the employers. That’s why a lot of job seekers stretch the dates of their employment.
Lie About Past Accomplishments
source: resumewritinglab.com
A flat out lie about past skills and accomplishments is not the same as improving your actual skills, so unless you really did it or know how to use it, never mention it in your resume.
False Experience
source: resumewritinglab.com
Even if you get employed thanks to a resume lie, mentioning skills or experiences you don’t actually have can result in a failure later on. Keep in mind that you will be expected to carry out similar tasks again and again!
Fabricating Education or Degree
source: resumewritinglab.com
This lie is not even worth trying as it may lead to getting fired immediately. Thus, do not be someone who claims to have the degree if you haven’t graduated from the college.
Unexplained Employment Gaps
source: resumewritinglab.com, Image: wikimedia commons (public domain)
Be honest and tell the truth rather than lie about your fictional job in order to cover gaps.
Lying by Omission
source: resumewritinglab.com
Omitting your previous employment can mean having gotten fired or other serious problems for a new employer.
Falsifying Credentials
source: resumewritinglab.com
This lie can have the same consequences as the lie about education and skills.
Faking Reasons for Quitting Previous Job
source: resumewritinglab.com
Think about more positive ways of discussing previous jobs where you got fired or quit all of a sudden.
Providing Deceitful References
source: resumewritinglab.com
Look for genuine references rather than force your family and friends to get in trouble while acting as your professional and real references.
Distorting a Military Record
source: resumewritinglab.com
You may know that military people usually get preference during the hiring process, so some people are tempted to misrepresent it.
Doubtful School
source: resumewritinglab.com
Remember that purchasing or issuing a fake diploma is quite legal; however, a little research will reveal the truth about the accreditation of the college.
Unknown Company
source: resumewritinglab.com
Some job hunters use the fake name of their previous company in the hope of getting hired faster.
The Job Title Seems Exaggerated
source: resumewritinglab.com
Some employers may find an applicant isn’t qualified only after they have hired him because in reality, the job title from the last company was inflated by the employee.
If you’re enjoying this post, be sure to check out 25 Words That You Should Not Use On Your Resume.
Far-fetched Phrases
source: resumewritinglab.com
Self-acclamations like, “the first person to…” will seem at least suspicious to the employer while reading such a resume.
Dropping the Name
source: resumewritinglab.com, Image: pixabay (public domain)
What manager will believe an applicant who claims to have “spearheaded” a marketing campaign for a big company and is now looking for a less prestigious job?
Providing Vague Details
source: resumewritinglab.com
When an applicant doesn’t disclose important information or doesn’t explain it clearly, it is still considered to be a lie.
False Salary Claims
source: resumewritinglab.com
According to our survey, about 40% of applicants have false salary claims.
Wrong Employment Dates
source: resumewritinglab.com
This lie is used by over 29% of job hunters when trying to conceal employment gaps.
Club Memberships
source: resumewritinglab.com
Often applicants try to look active and interesting by adding false information about club activity. Surely, they don’t expect the interviewer to be the actual member of the same club, right?
Non-existent Companies
source: resumewritinglab.com, image: pixabay (public domain)
Employers may often find non-existent companies listed in the applicant’s resume.
Innocent Half-Truths
source: resumewritinglab.com
You may think that a few far-fetched facts about your career can help impress the potential employer. However, it’s too easy to check employee’s background these days. Don’t risk your reputation without a reason.
Erroneous Contact Details
source: resumewritinglab.com
Such a lie can also lead you to the company’s blacklist.
Misdemeanor Record
source: resumewritinglab.com
The omission of criminal records is a lie found in 3% of job hunters in an attempt to land a job.
Felony Record
source: resumewritinglab.com
It’s not surprising that 7% of applicants try to conceal such a serious crime.
Interested in more tips? Take a look at 25 Entry Level Resume Tips To Help You Land That Job.
Those Who Admit Their Guilt
source: resumewritinglab.com
The most interesting fact is that according to the recent survey, around 13% of applicants have mentioned lies in their resume at least once.
It’s surprising that people behave this way and try to make up their job history when in reality it’s very easy to check their references or conduct an online search to quickly reveal the truth. Surely, you don’t need to put these lies in your resume to win a job. Good luck!
Victoria Vein is a representative and a content manager at Resume Writing Lab. She enjoys learning new job search tendencies and eagerly shares her ideas with other specialists and her readers. Both professional and open-minded, Victoria Vein tries to help job seekers from all over the World realize their career dreams.
Images: 25. Bjarki S, 24. Public Domain, 23. Public Domain, 22. Public Domain, 20. OnePoint Services via Flickr, 19. Public Domain, 18. Jeff Djevdet via Flickr, 16. pixabay, 15. Magnus Manske, 14. pixabay, 13. Robin Stott, 12. Julija Raulusevlclute via Flickr, 10. Nishanth Jois via Flickr, 9. Pixabay, 8. Dafne Cholet via Flickr, 7. RIA Novosti archive, image #47741 / Roman Denisov / CC-BY-SA 3.0 via wikimedia commons, 5. Artotem via Flickr, 4. Garvid via wikimedia commons, 3. Lionel Allorge, 2. Adam63, 1. Barry Langdon-Lassagne via wikimedia commons
