Lying on a Resume Is Common. Here’s Why It Won’t Work.

In terms of resumes, telling a bit of lie is all too frequent. In reality, a brand new survey from the net profession sources platform Resume Genius discovered that 48% of job seekers both lied or have thought-about mendacity on their resumes.

Within the 2024 Lying on Resumes Report, based mostly on an original survey of 1,000 managers, 29% of these surveyed admitted to mendacity on their resume. Whereas 14% admitted to blatantly mendacity, 15% stated they’d informed small lies or made minor exaggerations.

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“Our findings present that resume dishonesty is a standard temptation, particularly when job seekers really feel pressured to look extra certified or conceal profession gaps,” says Geoffrey Scott, senior hiring supervisor at Resume Genius.

The 2 commonest lies have been to cowl up a profession hole (31%) and exaggerate the size of time employed in a job (30%). In the meantime, mendacity about tech (24%) and language expertise (22%) have been additionally frequent.

A number of the most dishonest admitted to creating up whole firms and positions.

Males have been 1.5 instances extra more likely to lie than ladies—normally over job titles—and of the generations, Gen Z have been the largest liars of the bunch. 56% admitted they’ve or thought-about mendacity on a resume, adopted by Millennials (50%), Gen X (40%), and Boomers (37%).

Eva Chan, lead profession skilled at Resume Genius, says that with at the moment’s automated techniques, job seekers might really feel like they must deceive get forward, nevertheless it is not a wise transfer.

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“Whereas this strain to impress employers may be intense, mendacity in your resume is rarely the answer,” Chan stated. “It is all the time attainable to get caught, and the long-term penalties, like a broken repute or misplaced job alternatives, aren’t definitely worth the danger.”

Chan suggests focusing in your strengths and “displaying you are persevering with to upskill” to face out with employers.