I just read a good article from Monster via Yahoo called - What
Really Happens When you Lie on Your Resume.
It’s a good read and is something that I feel pretty passionate about. As you can see below it’s something that I've
written about extensively:
So… I think that we have established that lying is a
cardinal sin in a career search. So
instead of asking what will happen if I lie in my career search? Instead, the better question is, how do I
bring up difficult and embarrassing subjects in the interview process? Below are three common situations and how to
handle them.
You have a record
There is no easy way around this. If you have a criminal
record you are better suited to bring it up earlier rather than later. What kind of criminal offenses can hurt
you? Here are the big ones – theft,
assault, drunk driving (if the job requires driving) and other felonies. (Bonus
tip – Google your name and see what pops up – if it is one the first page you
should bring it up…) A lot of
people take the approach of waiting
until the last minute to bring up a deal breaker like this – their thinking is
that if you make the employer fall in love with you then they might overlook
it. This is like proposing to someone
and then telling them that you are still married… Instead, you should look to discuss it in the
first interview. You might end things
prematurely but at least you aren't going to waste your time with further
interviews.
You got fired
I've written about this extensively as well. If your boss comes in and says things aren’t
working out and you say I agree, I quit.
You were still fired. People say
that it was a mutual decision all of the time and it sounds stupid. Instead of skirting the truth you should dive
in and say that he position didn't work out.
Share why it didn't work out and what you have learned from it. Tell them how it made you a better person and
future employee.
You can read more about this here:
You have gaps in
employment
People have gaps in employment for a variety
of reasons. Some people feel the need to
fudge dates on a resume to hide them.
Bad idea! Instead you need to
craft a narrative about what you have been doing or were doing during your time
off. It’s pretty easy but sometimes
people are worried about how it looks.
If you took your time because you wanted the summer off – then say
it. The right company for you will like
this.
Over the years I've found one truism about lying in the
interview process. People do it to try and preserve a chance at jobs
that won’t happen anyway. Telling the
truth might stop some interviews dead in their tracks, but I honestly believe
that they probably wouldn't have worked out anyway. So tell the truth and focus your efforts on the opportunities that will work for you!
That’s all
I've got for today. Have a great week and as always please feel free to
leave comments below or email me at sthompson@insurance-csg.com.
Check out
some of my recent articles on the blog here:
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