How many times
have you heard someone say, "Just put it on your resume. There's no way
they're going to find out"?
It is tempting to put little white
lies on your resume. These might include overstating your knowledge of
required software ("If they call me, I'll teach myself over the
weekend"), a certification ("They'll never go through all that trouble
to find out") or extending dates at a former employer ("They can't find
out. The company went out of business").
So what's the big deal? It's not like
you're claiming to be a medical doctor, right? Who are you hurting
anyway? You're just stretching the truth a little to get your foot in
the door -- or so you tell yourself. If these are familiar thoughts,
you might want to re-think them. Why? Because the risk of getting
caught is real. The odds of getting away with listing false information
on your resume are probably, well . . . who really knows? Do you really
want to find out the hard way?
There are many reasons that could
prompt a human resources manager to conduct an employment background
check. Maybe you are not performing your job as well as expected. Maybe
a co-worker has the same credential and became suspicious when your
facts did not add up during a conversation. Some companies have never
experienced a dishonest employee who lied on his/her resume, and does
not routinely verify work histories and the validity of credentials. In
short, they have a false sense of security. Just the same, many hiring
managers are keenly aware that lying on a resume is becoming a costly
problem for many companies, and thoroughly check all facts even after
they hire a candidate.
Sadly, it is quite common these days
to learn of employee terminations because background checks revealed
dishonesty. Depending on the level of the position or the severity of
the falsification, this could sometimes lead to legal actions. So,
before you decide to make yourself look better on paper, think again.
It is not worth getting the job if you are not going to be able to live
up to it or hold on to it.
The moral of this story? Don't risk
your future by lying about your past! Honesty is always the best
policy!
