You may have heard that the CEO of Yahoo was recently pressured into resigning. Why? His resume listed an academic degree he never actually earned. While we don’t have all the facts about if he was aware of the discrepancy, we can take a few valuable lessons from what is being called “Resumegate”.
Do not lie on your resume - We all think about it. Would they really notice if you give yourself a few extra responsibilities or a better title? Maybe, maybe not. There is a chance it could work in your favor. But, I wouldn’t recommend it. Your potential employer may call your former supervisor to ask about the type of employee you were. This conversation could go beyond dates of employment and venture into territory in which you have fabricated your duties. Also, by making up things on your resume, you may make yourself an expert on something you don’t know anything about. Imagine how awkward it would be if your new boss asks you to create a PowerPoint (which you had listed on your resume as a skill of yours) and you have to embarrassingly admit you have no idea how to put one together!
Double check your resume – Resume mistakes are very easy to make, and can be hard to catch. If you are constantly sending out your resume, you may not be checking it every time to see if you’ve missed something. This has happened to me and a lot of people I know. I sent out application after application not realizing I had a date wrong, and was called out in an interview. Take an extra 10 minutes before you send out that application to check to make sure everything is correct. It sounds a little tedious, but it will be worth it. Better to be safe than sorry!
Being caught in a lie, whether it was unintentional or not, can have huge repercussions in your career. Your reputation is important and it would be easier to work your way up the ladder than to completely have to start over.
About Kim Costa