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Benefits February 26, 2004
Creative Resume Writing Still Alive and Well
February 26, 2004 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The art of
"creative" resume writing is apparently alive and well in
this still struggling job market.
Reported by Fred Schneyer
A Cleveland firm, which fact checks resumes for employers, said incorrect start and stop dates for a former job topped its list of “Top Ten Resume Lies. Rounding out the list of dubious distinction put together by Background Information Services was:
- false and/or inflated salary history
- inaccurate former positions or titles
- exaggerated or false listing of responsibilities at former job
- false reason(s) for leaving job
- false education Level (GPA) or inaccurate graduation information
- false Information pertaining to special licenses/certifications acquired
- non-existent awards and/or recognitions
- phony graduation certificate/diploma
- unexplained gaps between jobs
“This fact-stretching exercise is harmless when it comes to forgetting what month you might have left a job, but becomes detrimental when that job, in fact, never existed in the first place,” said Background Information Services president Jason Morris.
Based on results of Background Information Services fact-checking and industry data, more than half (56%) of resumes reviewed contain false or misleading data. More than a third (34%) lied about the applicant’s experience, education, and ability to perform essential functions on the job.
About one in 10 claimed credit for a college degree they didn’t earn, made up a past employer, or listed an old job that existed only in their imagination. About the same number misrepresented why they and an old boss parted ways.