Job resumes

Doesn’t Everyone Tell CV Lies?

Did You Know That 75% Of Applicants Tell CV Lies?

Why do people lie on their CV?

People lie on their CVs, resumes and job applications because they think everyone does it — and that to look as good as their competitors, they must do it too.

Most think resume lies are ‘harmless’ and believe the benefits of lying outweigh the risks of being caught.

After all (they tell themselves) there’s tough competition for most jobs and it’s only natural to feel pressurized to enhance your profile so as to present yourself in the best light.

How big is the problem?

Research suggests that as many as 3 in 4 people deviate from the truth on their CV, mostly about qualifications, dates of employment and salary.

According to The Risk Advisory Group (TRAG) 65 per cent of CVs submitted in 2007 contained false information, a rise of 16 per cent on the previous year’s amount.

According to TRAG, women in their early 30s were the biggest culprits, with 77 per cent of resumes containing some kind of untruth.

Even among the statistically most honest group, men in their early 20s, half of all CVs featured misleading information.

TRAG, which screened over 3,000 candidate CVs for discrepancies, said that job seekers misled firms over everything from gaps in employment to fraud committed against previous employers.

The most common inaccuracies were in employment history, with 55 per cent of candidates inventing a more impressive career. A further 36 per cent lied about their qualifications.

Bill Waite of TRAG, said that many of the discrepancies they uncover are simple errors of omission but that around one in ten are more serious, such as failure to disclose criminal convictions, fraud against previous employers or even terrorist links.

He warned employers to be far more rigorous in checking out new potential employees.

What could happen if I tell CV lies?

Although exaggeration is widespread and generally accepted, we would not advise you to resort to outright lies. It’s not so much a moral issue as a legal one. If you are offered a job on the back of information contained in your CV or resume which the employer believes to be correct, then the employer is legally entitled to withdraw the job offer if they discover the CV contains false information. So employees found guilty of lying can lose their job and worse still, receive a reference that refers to the reason why! It could cost you your future career.

One of us employed a sales person who exaggerated their basic salary by 35%. They had an impressive CV and did a good interview. When our payroll department processed the tax details from his former employer his deceit was discovered. Six hours after arriving at his desk he was marched from the building.

What about the case of Neil Taylor who produced a bogus degree certificate to land the position as head of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust in 2003? After admitting the offence of obtaining a financial advantage through deception, he now faces the possibility of prison.

Perhaps you don’t think you’ll be as unlucky as these two but is it worth the risk? Employers are wising up to applicant lies and doing more checks than before. Many outsource application checking to other companies, set up for this very purpose. They only charge between £75 and £300 to check the details of the CV. The penalties vary from being refused the job to being fired if the offender has already started work. Or as Mr Taylor’s case demonstrates, the punishment can be even stronger.

Our advice?

It’s possible to look better than your competitors without lying on your CV or resume - trust us.

It’s simply a case of selling yourself properly - making sure your CV or resume is professional, relevant and persuasive.

You can do this yourself if you have a talent for good writing and presentation.

If you don’t, use a professional.

They really are worth the money. You’ll get more interviews and perhaps even land your dream job without having to resort to exaggerations or lies.

Read more about honesty in your CV or resume here…

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