Redefining Recruitment: The Worst Thing to Put on a Resume
Whether you’re switching careers, looking for your next job, or just getting started in the professional world, you’ve probably heard the advice to tailor your resume for the job you want. We even recommend it.
But here’s the thing—tailoring a resume is different than lying. Lying on your resume is THE WORST thing you can put on a resume. It can cost you that dream job or even get you blocked from future opportunities. The difference between lying on a resume and tailoring a resume may seem gray, but it’s actually quite black and white.
Tailoring vs Lying
When it comes to a resume and applying for jobs, there are no ‘white lies’ or ‘stretching’ to make it fit—it’s either the truth or it isn’t. A lie is a lie. If it’s made up, it’s a lie.
Tailoring a resume is the same as you might tailor a suit jacket. With a little adjustment, your jacket is perfect. It’s still the same jacket, the same color and fabric, it just fits better. A lie would be putting on a robe and calling it a jacket. Tailoring just uses your same skills and shows the employer or recruiter how they fit in that organization/role.
“To me, tailoring is choosing which bullets make sense for the job you’re applying for,” said Patrick Cahill, President of #twiceasnice Recruiting. “Tailoring is just about cherry-picking which aspects of your experience makes sense to highlight.”
Examples of lying on a resume:
- Making up experience
- Inflating experience
- Fabricating or exaggerating time spent at a company/position
- Distorting figures
Examples of tailoring a resume:
- Pointing out leadership experience
- Noting industry-specific skills
- Showing real experience that relates to the job (meeting a quota if applying for a sales position)
A Reason Not to Lie: You Don’t Need To
Absolutely no one is perfect, and most employers know they may not find their perfect candidate or “unicorn” (unicorns are mythical creatures that don’t exist, so why would we be looking for them?). It’s perfectly acceptable to not match or meet all of the requirements on a job posting. As we say, honesty is always the best policy. Be yourself, own your experience, and the right employer will see value in what you bring to the table.
“(Employers) make compromises on what their original idea of what they needed to fill a role every day. The ideal candidate may not exist at that moment, in their market, at their budget, and so they recognize that they may not get everything they originally were thinking,” said Cahill. “So, just because you don’t have everything they said they were looking for does not mean you won’t get the job.”
Lying Can Lose You Opportunities
Even if a lie passes the first test, there is no winning for anyone if you make up something on your resume. In the absolute best-case scenario, you’re simply not offered the job. Worst case? You could be banned from future positions, blocked from entire organizations, get into a position you’re unable to do, and create a negative professional reputation.
It’s not worth it. Don’t do it. It’s the worst thing you can possibly put on a resume.
Do This Instead
Instead of lying on a resume, doing these few things can help you nail down the job you really want.
- Tailor your resume for the position (cherry-pick those special skills/experience)
- Take a step back, edit, and re-edit for any grammatical errors
- Use consistent formatting throughout your resume
- Make sure your social media is professional
- Research the company, employees, and position ahead of applications and interviews
There’s no need to lie on a resume. People with great skills will always find a job, and there is always a path to finding that perfect position for yourself. Ready to find it? See the roles we’re hiring for here.
Want to learn more about why lying is the worst thing you can do? Watch our full Redefining Recruitment episode on this very topic!