-Written by Dylan Mark, Internship Program Intern at CU
Career Services
It’s that time of year. You’re filling out cover letters and sharpening your resume for summer
and post-college jobs. It may be tempting to exaggerate the truth or throw in a
couple of lies to make your resume stand out, but be wary of the
consequences. Here are three things you
may be tempted to lie about, but shouldn’t, and a few alternatives to enhance
your resume.
1) Position Title
Changing the title of previous positions can make it look like you are more qualified for a job. However, if your potential employer checks your references and finds a discrepancy in what you’ve listed, your job application is likely to be removed from consideration. Instead of changing the job title, make sure the job duties/responsibilities you share are as clear and encompassing as possible. For example, if your title was “Administrative Assistant” but you also helped significantly on a project for a company, make sure to include it as a sub-bullet of your job title, rather than changing the title to “Administrative Assistant/Project Coordinator.
2) References
References are the easiest way to get caught in a lie on your job resume. There aren’t any good workarounds for references and lying about them is a red flag to companies. This means that you need to work ahead of time at acquiring references. They can come from a variety of places depending on the position you’re applying for: academic advisors, professors, employers, colleagues, and extracurricular program directors are good sources for references.
3) Certificates, Awards, and/or Trainings
In today’s technological age, lying about your achievements on your resume is a risky move. Background checks and calling references can easily indicate a lie about a certificate, award, or training you’ve reported. If you don’t have a catalogue of achievements, think of the alternative experiences you’ve participated in such as extracurricular clubs/organizations, study abroad, boards, committees, conferences, and leadership positions.
Remember, lying on your resume is too risky a move when applying for jobs. Be honest in your application and find other ways to make your resume stand out!
1) Position Title
Changing the title of previous positions can make it look like you are more qualified for a job. However, if your potential employer checks your references and finds a discrepancy in what you’ve listed, your job application is likely to be removed from consideration. Instead of changing the job title, make sure the job duties/responsibilities you share are as clear and encompassing as possible. For example, if your title was “Administrative Assistant” but you also helped significantly on a project for a company, make sure to include it as a sub-bullet of your job title, rather than changing the title to “Administrative Assistant/Project Coordinator.
2) References
References are the easiest way to get caught in a lie on your job resume. There aren’t any good workarounds for references and lying about them is a red flag to companies. This means that you need to work ahead of time at acquiring references. They can come from a variety of places depending on the position you’re applying for: academic advisors, professors, employers, colleagues, and extracurricular program directors are good sources for references.
3) Certificates, Awards, and/or Trainings
In today’s technological age, lying about your achievements on your resume is a risky move. Background checks and calling references can easily indicate a lie about a certificate, award, or training you’ve reported. If you don’t have a catalogue of achievements, think of the alternative experiences you’ve participated in such as extracurricular clubs/organizations, study abroad, boards, committees, conferences, and leadership positions.
Remember, lying on your resume is too risky a move when applying for jobs. Be honest in your application and find other ways to make your resume stand out!
This should be the biggest mistake that you can ever do. Never lie because the employer will definitely not like that. Your reputation will be ruined and it will be bad for your recommendation in case you transfer to another job. If you want to have a good resume, then go to an expert like the interview coaching Edmonton since they know how to make you look good through your resume, without the need to lie.
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