Advice To Job Seekers: Don’t Lie On Your Resume

Everyone does it at some time in their working lives, especially when they’re just starting out – padding their resume. But according to a new study, you’re not really getting away with it. Prospective employers know what’s going on and factor it in.

According to the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations, at least a third of all small businesses say they’ve received resumes from applicants that they knew were part fact and part fiction. Bosses understand a worker’s desire to make themselves stand out from the pack, but it could ultimately backfire if the company figures it out.

And it appears they’re doing just that. It used to be that only huge firms with unique security needs hired specialists to check on would-be hires. But now small businesses are joining in the fact checking with increasing frequency. And many don’t like what they’re seeing.

“Checking the resume is only the first step in what should be a rigorous look at each candidate’s background,” suggests the Association’s Milan Yager in a statement. “No matter how much you want or need to hire someone, you must carefully check their credentials and background. There’s too much at stake.” In fact, it’s turned the screening game into a lucrative business, although there’s no word on who screens those the screening companies hire.

And making mistakes can be expensive for a company. Research shows dismissing an employee who doesn’t fit the job can cost more than that worker’s yearly salary.

So what can you do if you’re looking for a job and want to make a good impression but don’t have as much experience as you’d like? Here are some suggestions.

-Take care of the little details, like your typing. The survey shows nearly a quarter of all resumes or covering letters are rife with misspellings or grammatical errors that often detract from the message you’re trying to send.

-Be sure you get the personnel director’s name right. For many, that mistake is a guaranteed one way trip to the shredder.

-Be careful of what you leave online. An increasing number of firms now do Google searches on applicants. Finding angry rants on blogs or evidence that you’ve feuded with previous bosses won’t get you in the door. Consider removing those posts until you’ve passed the auditions.

-Offer references and know what the people on the other end will say. You’d be surprised how many times they’re checked. The study found an alarming number of faked letters of praise, which got the applicants a ticket to the circular file.

-And if in doubt, sell the most unique thing you have: yourself. In the end, it’s something no one else can bring to the position.