When you are in desperate need of finding a new job, you might be tempted to do a bit of overselling on your applications. You will need to distinguish yourself after all from all the other applicants out there. And especially if you´re already searching for a new job for a long time and not getting any responses, you might think tweaking your resume a little bit is the answer to be more successful. It might be completely making things up or making your experience sound a little bit more interesting or relevant, just to make your profile more attractive and increase your chances of getting the job.
However, no matter how desperate you are to find a new job, you should never lie on your resume. Here is why.
- You can´t change the facts
Whereas you might think that no one will ever find out, nowadays it is very difficult to change the facts. Before the internet era, you might have been able to pull it off but in today´s digital era it is just too easy to research you online or email past employers and schools to check if everything is true.
- You will have to keep the faking up day in day out
Even if you think it´s just one little lie that gets your foot in the door, you will have to keep up with this lie for a very long time. For example, if you invent a degree on a certain university, you will have to be able to answer all sorts of questions about your life there, where you used to go, which subjects you liked most etc. For those of you who have seen the series “Suits”, the lawyer that invented a Harvard law degree needs to answer questions on a daily base about which professors he liked best, the grades he got, where he used to study, where he used to go for coffee etc. etc. Obviously, his web of lies gets more complicated every time and at some point, people did find out. So, if you start, what might seem like, a little lie, you will have to lie about everything around that as well and make sure your story fits.
- Your reputation is on the line
If you get caught for lying on your resume, your professional reputation will be ruined and not just at your current employer. Chances are big this news will spread widely and you will have serious trouble finding a good job ever again. So again, what might seem like a little lie on your resume might haunt you for the rest of your career. Also, no matter how insignificant the lie, you will have the reputation of being a liar and someone that can´t be trusted.
- There might actually be legal consequences
On top of that, there can be some serious legal implications for falsifying your details. So apart from your reputation, your life might be ruined even more because falsifying your details can be considered a crime. Therefore, you better think twice before getting yourself in some serious trouble.
And actually, most employers will consider candidates that might not meet the requirements 100%, if you show you have the potential to learn. Therefore, trying to lie on your resume and outsmart a hiring manager is usually only trying to outsmart yourself because sooner or later you will get caught in that web of lies and you will have to face the consequences. No matter how dark your job search might look, lying on your resume should never be the solution.
What other reasons do you have for not lying on your resume?
