Embellishing a job title or adding a few months to a previous professional experience are apparently widespread practices when it comes to landing a new job. In fact, 70% of job-seekers confess to having already done so, according to a recent survey.
Conducted by ResumeLab, this study states that 37% of working people frequently lie on their resumés. Surprisingly, those most likely to falsify their experience, qualifications or language level are not the least qualified or the least experienced.
On the contrary, they are professionals with a master’s degree or doctorate (85%): the majority of them (58%) say they often bend the truth to give themselves the best chance of success.
Jobseekers with bachelor’s or associate degrees are the least likely to lie on their resumés, with “only” 63% having done so in the course of their career.
A large number of working people are also deceitful in their cover letters. Three quarters of those questioned admit to having lied in this document that accompanies their resumé, while 50% admit to having done so frequently.
A similar proportion of professionals resort to this practice during an interview with a recruiter. As with resumés , highly educated professionals are most likely to be less than totally honest in their cover letters and job interviews.
Apart from their level of education, no other sociodemographic factors were apparent in explaining why some might be more likely to lie on their resumés or in their cover letters. As a result, the study authors state that, in this context, “lies have no gender, age, political affiliation, religion, and work industry”.
So what are the things that jobseekers like to embellish, or even falsify? Firstly, the tasks entrusted to them by their previous employers.
More than half of all respondents have falsified their professional experience to make it sound more impressive. They may have invented a past as a manager, or pretended to be in charge of a project in which they were actually involved at a much lower level.
Many of those surveyed (52%) also changed their job title to make it sound better. Some inflated the number of employees they had to supervise (45%) or remained vague about the start and end dates of their positions (37%), in particular to conceal a period of unemployment.
In comparison, only 5% of workers lied about their IT skills.
Whether it’s a major falsification or a simple omission, lying during recruitment can have serious consequences. Bending the truth probably won’t expose you to legal proceedings, unless you work in a regulated profession for which a diploma is mandatory, such as a lawyer or doctor.
But doing so risks undermining your credibility in the job market, especially in sectors where hiring is largely by word of mouth. As a general rule, it’s wise to avoid making things up on your resumé or cover letter, and to take responsibility for your background and knowledge when applying for a job.