Many resumes and LinkedIn profiles include lies, missing information, and exaggerated claims. Some research indicates that about 1/3 of resumes contain some lies.
Why does this happen? People are afraid that they won’t get hired if a company finds out they are not telling the truth.
Here are a few examples from 20+ years of work as a coach, resume writer, and recruiter.
One client told me that he had not actually graduated from college. I was the first person he told in 21 years! He was always afraid that the truth would come out. Even his wife and mother thought he graduated.
It was a simple fix. We added three words. That is all.
University of San Diego, B.S, Business Administration (minus one class)
It was funny. I asked if he was going to tell his wife. Yes. His mother? Nope.
A sales guy needed a new resume. He said that he would give me numbers that were not true. This included exaggerations of sales numbers that were percentages over quota. I said no. But I suggested coaching instead. I never heard back from him.
Maybe you have asked your boss to be a reference. That person says, “Just tell me what you want me to say, and I will say do that.” That is not doing you any favors. It validates that appearances are more important than telling the truth.
Maybe you had a short-tenured position that did not go well. It is easy to adjust the dates of employment on both sides – before and after. Voila! That job has disappeared!
Sometimes, the lies are obvious to a trained career professional. Do the dates, job titles, and accomplishments match between your resume and your LinkedIn profile?
Here’s how I can help:
- Make a personal and professional decision to clean up any lies or discrepancies.
- I will make a real effort to be non-judgmental if you will be candid and tell me what happened.
- I can be objective because I don’t know the situation or the people involved.
- The coaching will start by clarifying the facts.
- Then, we can develop a strategy on how to tell the truth. Professional help can make it easier to do this.
There is a disclaimer in my service agreement that I do not verify information such as employment history, skills, education, accomplishments, or certifications.
If you would like to discuss this or other sensitive matters, let’s talk. There is NO CHARGE for a consultation. Here is the link to my scheduler.