09/ 28/ 2004
by Charles R. McConnell
As jobs have become harder to find, a growing number of applicants are doing whatever they can to increase their chances of finding employment. Unfortunately, much of "whatever they can" includes exaggeration and outright falsehood on employment resumes. False and misleading information has become relatively common, perhaps in the belief—or the hope—that many employers don't bother to check the details.
Although current estimates vary considerably, it's likely that as many as 40 percent of resumes include inappropriate exaggerations and other misrepresentations. It's also likely that at least one of 10 applicants claiming a college degree doesn't have one.
It's natural for an applicant to want to be seen in the best possible light and enhance the chances of an interview and subsequent job offer. Since the resume is a critical door opener for many positions, resume writers desperately seeking employment are often inclined to make themselves as appealing as possible by slanting a resume to match or surpass the requirements of a particular job. There's nothing basically wrong with modifying one's resume to emphasize particular qualifications, but too often the "modification" results in a work of fiction.
How can you tell if the resume you're reviewing is less than completely honest? Some applicants who misrepresent themselves do so with skill and subtlety and without outlandish claims, so you can't always recognize a padded resume immediately. There are, however, a number of areas to examine for signs of misrepresentation:
Education
Much resume fraud occurs in the area of education. Some applicants claim degrees they didn't receive, a condition that's becoming more common. More often, however, the resume writer lists educational experiences in a way intended to lead the hurried reader to assume the degree, for example, "State University, 2003, Chemistry." When you see something like this it usually means the person attended for some unknown length of time without receiving a degree. Education described this way should be regarded with suspicion, with steps taken to verify the claims if you're at all interested in applicant.
Work experience
Any resume writer surely wishes to put a favorable spin on experience and accomplishments. However, the favorable spin too often includes exaggeration. Some applicants claim more important sounding titles than actually held. For example, there was the lone bookkeeper at a small company who portrayed himself as "chief financial officer." Some also list inflated salaries levels and greatly exaggerated on-the-job accomplishments.
Previous employers
A reasonably written resume provides the person's previous employers in descending order starting with one's present (or most recent) employer. Someone who left a job on bad terms may omit that involvement, leaving a gap in the record. Even less satisfactory, there may be no dates of employment given or dates so vague that it's not possible to assess someone's tenure. For example, the person who states "Ajax Company, 2002-2003" would like you to assume two years with Ajax when it was actually less than three months (December 2002 through February 2003). Also, unexplained periods of self-employment should be regarded with suspicion.
Specific skills
Today it's common for a company's hiring criteria to include familiarity with particular computer software. Seldom is it an outright lie when someone claims proficiency with WordPerfect, Excel or some other software, but this often means the person has had limited exposure that falls far short of true proficiency.
References
Look for possible resume weaknesses when the references furnished are peers or personal acquaintances, with previous supervisors notably absent from mention.
What to do about resume fraud? First, keep in mind that if the resume you just perused seems too good to be true, it probably is. Beyond that, if a resume raises too many doubts and questions, you'll probably want to pass on the applicant. If you're proceeding to an interview with someone whose resume contains soft spots, consider the following:
Have the individual attach the resume to your employment application. Your application should call for an applicant's signature attesting to the truth of information provided and allowing you to check references and educational records. Explain up front that this will be done.
Be certain to verify degrees, especially now in light of the increasing frequency of false claims of graduation.
When checking work references, ask for verification of job title, salary, dates of employment and responsibilities.
In the course of the interview, base some of your questions on claims that seem questionable. Those who have piled exaggeration upon exaggeration often have trouble remembering what they said.
Always ask about gaps in employment, those time periods the resume omitted.
