Can You Lie On Your Resume

Almost everyone who has ever sat down to write a resume has wondered if they should or if they can lie on the resume. It’s not uncommon a thought.

And if you read online advice columns, then you would think that everyone is a saint when it comes writing a resume. The popular advice is to never lie on a resume. Just don’t do it.

But honestly, the truth of the matter is that almost no one is truthful when it comes to writing their resume. Everything from lying about work history, what college one went to, and even the length of time one worked at a place of business are all common things to lie about.

There are two different things to consider. Should you lie, and Can you lie.

This article will not address the first issue. Should you lie. That’s a different subject entirely.

The point of this article is to cover the question of whether or not you can lie on a your resume. That’s a totally different question.

What we are going to do is breakdown the different areas you can lie on your resume and the reasons for doing so. Some areas are more important than others when it comes to lying.

Can You Lie On Your Resume About Education?

One of the biggest things on a resume is your education experience. Again, it depends upon the type of role you are applying for. There are certain fields where it would be insane to lie. For instance, if you never went to Law School, and were attempting to practice law, then you’re seriously deranged. Likewise with Med School.

The more common issue is when people lie about college or grad school. It’s much more common. People will simply list a school on their resume even though they never went there. Of course, it’s something that can be easily verified. There are companies that verify education for a small fee.

Most recruiters will have stories of people fabricating their educational background. It’s very, very common. And it crosses industry. In some companies, people are expected to undergo an educational background check. They want to verify that the person actually graduated from the school they claim to have gone.

And it is not just a case of colleges needing to be verified. In many industries, people will want proof that you have graduated from high school or have a G.E.D.

This is more common in low level roles, and in the non-profit sector. There are even entire sections of recruiting agencies that specialize in this sort of work: the credentialing department.

The goal here is to prove that the person has completed the degree that they claim. Because, you might not believe it, but many people lie about education. People who have never graduated high school or college list both.

Many small companies will not do background checks on education, but large companies often do, and most non-profits also do.

The reason that non-profits are so stringent on checking educational credentials is that getting a job in the non-profit world is much different than in the corporate world. This is something I can cover in a separate article, but the basic concept is that in the corporate world, it’s more important that you can do a job and perform. In the non-profit, as long as you have a relevant degree (such as a Masters in Social Work) the non-profit can qualify for additional government funding. So it is vital that their case workers and case planners have the degrees that they claim to have.

The other reason some non-profits are so fixated on checking education is that often times they are dealing with a back to work population. These are people reentering the workforce due to prior criminal activity. These people will often need to provide references, job history which is provable, as well an educational verification. If they are deceptive, then there are many non-profits that will not accept them and instead tell them to apply to one of the programs that is geared to recently incarcerated individuals.

Can You Lie on your Resume About Work History?

This is a more common issue. There are many people who have a sketchy work history, or they want to embellish their merger roles at a company. So, they might think that they can simply lie on their resume.

Many people who are applying for an entry level job are often faced with the problem of little to no experience. How should they handle it? Should they lie?

The problem is that this is more important than education (except in the Non-Profit field). And it’s very likely that your potential employers will want to check up on your work history. They can do this one of a few ways.

The first, and most common way, is to do an employment verification. This is almost a universal standard at all major companies. There are large companies that strictly serve this need. They will have employees who send out employment verifications.

This is common in all forms of employment. A sales executive will be checked to make sure they worked at a firm, in the same manner that a administrative assistant will be checked.

You can’t lie and get around these checks as they are sent to the company and the companies human resources department will simply confirm or deny that the individual worked there in the past.

The second way to check work history, and it’s less common, is to do a professional reference. This is difficult and not standard because all you need to do is have a friend lie for you. Most recruiters will attest that professional references are almost always not trustworthy.

Every recruiter has a story of someone with stellar references who ended up no-showing for assignments, not knowing how to use basic software, or simply being an unprofessional candidate.

While you can lie, it’s likely that you will be found out if the company desires to check. But that last bit is important. Many companies do not check. Of course, you can’t go into an interview and ask them if they plan on checking your work history. That’s basically a huge red flag and a guarantee that they will.

But, if you’re applying for any sort of large company (even retail companies do it) then it’s almost a guarantee.

The smaller the firm, the less likely it is to occur.

You can fabricate your duties at your prior job, but you can’t simply invent a job out of thin air.

The dates are what most companies verify. So, if you list that you were an administrative assistant at a company for three years, when you really only worked there for 2 months…. you’re probably going to get caught on that lie.

But, if you say you worked somewhere for 3 months, and handled heavy scheduling, excel date entry, and reconciliation, when all you in fact did was answer the phone? Well, it is possible that your next employer will never know. Many companies refuse to give any information beyond dates worked and job title.

In another article I will cover how companies perform background checks, job history checks (also called employment verification) and professional references. You will see that the current trend is to never reveal much regarding a person’s work performance, which is why job titles are so important.

Can You Lie on your resume about college?

It’s not a good idea to lie about college. That’s something that is actually very easy to check. All the potential employer has to do is to sign into one of the services that verify college degrees, pay a small fee, and they will have their answer.

And these companies are very affordable. Many recruiting agencies will even use them for bulk verifications and get a cheaper cost because of the bulk rate discount.

If you’ve not gone to a good college, don’t feel like you should despair. You can still get a good job, and as long as you perform well, make advancements.

The idea that you need a name college to get work only applies to certain fields such as finance, and other highly coveted roles.

If you’re just looking for a regular office role, then it’s not that important where you went to school. The most important part is that you can do the job, you’re not a loafer or a liability to the company, and that you are reliable.

If you didn’t graduate the college, but attended for a short time, then you can list it, but be clear that you did not graduate if asked.

What Happens if you lie on your Resume?

If you lie on your resume and no one knows, then nothing happens.

However, if you lie on your resume and the recruiter finds out or the company hiring you finds out, then it might disqualify you.

Don’t think that you can lie to get into a role and then prove yourself. That’s a myth. If you start a job with false credentials, then the employer will feel tricked.

It’s better to just be frank about your experience. Unless there are serious issues such as you have large career gaps, which I will cover in another article.

Listen, it’s understandable that you’d consider lying on a resume. Why? Because it’s hard to get interviews. People send out their resume and they never hear back. And it’s often hard to know what your resume is not getting interviews.

That said, it’s important to keep it somewhat honest and not create obvious lies. Even if you’re someone without any experience and are looking for your first job, then tread carefully. You can get a job with no expereince, but it is important to go about it the right way.

Finally, it’s important to understand that people who lie on their resume often achieve the best results and are public figures. That’s not to say that it’s acceptable, but it is a matter of public discourse and often unspoken undertadning. Take for instance the NYC scandal surrounding Ashwin Vasan and his suspicious resume and career gaps. Not to mention the endless public figures who have been caught up in questionable resume revisions.