Don't Lie In Your Resume

There's sometimes a distinction made between lying and stretching the truth. This is never the case when it comes to your resume, however. Whether you are just embellishing a little bit or telling a real whopper, it's never appropriate to misrepresent yourself to an employer.

Aside from the obvious reason that it's just not right to lie about something you know is wrong, stretching the truth about your employment history can come back to haunt you. Telling an organization that you are capable of doing something you are not can lead to a quick exit from the job when it is discovered you can't do the work. This is not only bad for you short-term, but can also impact your ability to get jobs in the future.

It's not good to embellish about anything, but here are some of the worst items to lie about in your resume:

• Job Duration: It's better to address frequent turnover in employment rather than hide it by only listing the years you worked rather than the months. There are plenty of reasons that you might have had multiple jobs in a short period of time, and employers will appreciate your honesty.
• Skills: There's nothing more embarrassing than claiming you are an expert at something only to have your co-workers find out you are far from that. Word of this kind of lie can spread pretty quickly around the industry, making it hard for you to get jobs in the future.
• Education: If you didn't graduate for whatever reason, list the amount of credits you received and your class standing. Include a parenthetical note explaining why you didn't complete your degree.
• Residence: Don't use your friend's address in Florida if there is absolutely no way you can get there by the next day for interview. This is only appropriate if you are staying at this person's house for the weekend and in that case, you need to mention that in your application.