Never try to fake your Resume / CV

It’s easy to dream up qualifications & work experience that you think will bolster your CV. But, the repercussions of faking facts can be professionally devastating.

I’m sure we all remember our parents teaching us that lying was bad. Despite such early conditioning, adulthood has probably taught you to see things in slightly greyer tones.

In a resume/CV, everyone wants to present his or her experience in the most attractive light possible, but information can’t be fiction. Whether you’re exaggerating job accomplishments or creating complete fabrications, lying is simply a bad idea. It might be one of the dumbest and most damaging things you could do in your career, but, surprisingly, a lot of people do it.

There’s nothing wrong with putting the best possible shine on your actual experience, but fabrications will eventually come back to haunt you. It’s stupid really. It just depends on how much a company wants to spend on checking backgrounds. Most people get by because companies don’t look that hard.

Aside from any moral or ethical implications, chances are that you will get caught when you lie.

Here’s how:

1. Your current employer can easily call your previous employers. It may be just to get information for transferring your provident fund, but if you have lied about your previous job profile or work experience, you’ll get busted.

2. Even though you’re changing jobs, you’re probably not changing industries. Companies in the same industry often have common forums. Employers often belong to the same professional associations or have common networks. An offhand mention that you were the sales executive, not the sales manager, and you’ll be cleaning out your desk.

3. If you lied about your degree, your company may check your college’s alumni list. Or someone at the new company will really be an alumnus and you’ll get busted.

4. If you think you are really creative and can invent previous experiences or employers, modern day information networks, investigation firms, reference checks make humiliating you quick, easy, and cost effective.

5. Most large companies use a third-party to do background checks. Most do degree confirmations and employment checks. Minor things are usually overlooked. For example, some employers will choose to overlook a lie about possessing advanced computer skills as long as that does not become a handicap in your job; but a fake degree or phoney job history will definitely get you busted.

Lying on your resume can come back to haunt you — sometimes even many years down the road. Don’t fall into that trap. Instead, reduce the issue by being creative about marketing yourself and don’t let perceived obstacles stall your search. So cheers to all those honest people out there who are sticking to facts and demonstrate integrity when it comes to applying for jobs.