‘When you are honest and ethical and live with integrity, your rewards are guaranteed’.
- Zig Zigler.
In my over two decades as a human relations professional, I have had the privilege of coming across quite a number of so called ‘stars’ ruining their careers and consequently their lives as a result of being economical with the truth when crafting their resumes.
The other day, one of my mentees called me up to seek my opinion over an issue that had been boggling his mind. You see, he had been recommended for a top management role in a multinational company. He was then asked to submit a copy of his most recent resume. Being the one that helped him craft the resume he then wanted to seek my opinion on some issues in the resume which he claimed did not quite add up. He therefore wanted to seek my opinion on whether to re-craft the resume and straighten up the facts bearing in mind that he had at one time had his hands burnt and forced to resign over a similar matter or leave it the way it is.
Without mincing words, my straight answer was that he should re-craft his resume and present the facts the way they are. I then went on to relate the story of a certain John (not real name) a certain medical doctor who got hired as the resident doctor in the clinic of a textile company. During recruitment, the resume was properly polished and so professionally written that he was the first to be shortlisted for interview. Fortunately, he was able to match his claims with his performance during the interview and he was eventually employed. However, unknown to the employers, he was not a qualified medical doctor as claimed in the resume. He was a fake. It took the employment of a new Human Resource Manager to discover the truth. The new HRM while going through his file one day discovered some anomalies in his resume. He found out that some things did not match and therefore invited him for a chat to clear things up. It was then found out that he never qualified as a medical doctor. He lost his job and a battered image in tow. All these could have been avoided if he had presented a reliable resume, but he did not. He wanted to cut corners.
Whether you want it or not, prospective employers often do background checks after employment to determine the veracity of the claims of candidates in their resumes and during interviews. You see, your CV is a mirror of your personality to a prospective employer. It shows the hirer your real personality. Presenting a reliable resume to a prospective employer therefore presents the picture of a reliable prospective employee. The hirer will visualize a candidate that can be relied upon and can add real value to their organization if given the opportunity to serve and that says a lot about the individual. Further, presenting a reliable CV to a recruiter will present the picture of a candidate with integrity. It will present the picture of an honest candidate, dependable and a person of impeccable character.
If this is so, why then do most job seekers pack lies in their resumes? The answer is to achieve the objective of being shortlisted for an interview of course. By claiming to possess skills, attributes and achievements they do not actually possess in their CVs, they stand better chance of being shortlisted. However, the lie will not endure forever. The truth will come out anyway. If not discovered during scrutiny by recruiters, it would during actual interview. You see some things do not match so we experience recruiters often look for such inaccuracies in resumes. Sometimes when those lying in their CVs get employed, they usually do not match their claims with their performance. Also, the truth might be found out when employers contact the places of work or schools attended to verify their claims. So their untruths are eventually found out. Research has shown that candidates often lie about employment dates, job titles, gaps between employments and qualifications. In point of fact 86% of interviewers think that resumes and application forms are not wholly truthful.
Why Present a Reliable Resume?
1. A CV with a lie is an embarrassment or a dismissal waiting to happen in the future: 86% of recruiters have the belief that job seekers often lie in their CVs and do not present the facts as they truly are. Therefore when scrutinizing resumes, they always take the pain to separate the fake resumes from the reliable ones. An experienced recruiter cannot be fooled. It is easy to fool someone without experience but not so with an experienced HR practitioner who knows his onion in recruitment. We recruiters often look for that part of the CV that does not match. We most times look for inaccuracies, inconsistencies, distortions and omissions. Sometimes this is done during interview session if the candidate is successful in passing through the short listing. Therefore whatever doubts we might have we always try to clear up during the interview session. Chances are that if you are able to scale the short listing with a resume filled with half truths or untruths, you will have to clear these up during the interview session.
2. Truth will eventually be known: Lying in your CV is a very daft thing to do because the truth will eventually come out if not during interview sessions it could be after references might have been sent out to confirm the veracity of the claims in the CV. It is therefore sensible to present facts as they truly should be. After all the worst that could happen is not to be considered for short listing in one placement and that does not mean you will not be considered again. Research has shown that about 85% of employers seek references from at least a previous employer. Therefore if you have made any false claim in your CV about your achievements in your past employment, chances are that the lie might be found out.
3. Integrity and reputation are more important than qualification: Lying in your resume about qualification is a risky strategy therefore it is better to avoid the temptation. It is better to be proud of who you are and what you have. Positive emphasis and strong presentation about self is good but falsehoods are not.
From the foregoing therefore it is not good to present inaccuracies or distortions in your CV. Rather than cover your CV with deceits it is better to show recruiters what you have learned from your mistakes. That way you will gain the respect of your prospective employer as you will come out as one who can learn from mistakes and develop from it. These are the kind of candidates that can add value to organizations and not the deceitful ones. Reliability adds value to your personality and further enhances your chances of employability. This is because the recruiter scrutinizing your CV will see you as one capable of adding value to his organization. If you therefore want to have an edge over most other applicants, tell the truth. This is because integrity is considered a vital factor among all good quality employers.
Thank you for sharing your time with me.
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