
How to Write a Resume According to Science in 2023
How do you write a resume? With so many conflicting opinions out there, we’ve set out to find the ultimate answer to this question.
Face the ugly truth about the scale of lying during recruitment.
Have you ever wondered how far you would go to land a job?
In the competitive world of job hunting, the pressure to stand out in a candidate pool leads many people down a slippery slope – lying on their resumes. All’s fair in love, war, and recruitment, right? Wrong.
While stretching the truth may seem a harmless shortcut to securing that dream job, it actually cuts both ways. The consequences of lying on a resume can be severe, not just for your professional reputation but also for your career prospects. And all the half-truths, exaggerations, and “little” white lies may someday backfire on you.
In August 2023, we surveyed over 1,900 U.S.-based workers to examine job applicant behaviors. The study provided valuable insights into lying during recruitment, the scale of the phenomenon, and the reasons why applicants decide to do that despite the risk. Our findings are below!
Let’s face the truth and see how common lying to land a job is.
7 in 10 workers confessed they had lied on their resumes. Additionally, 37% admitted they lied frequently.
When asked, “Have you ever lied on a resume?” respondents claimed:
As you can see, only 15% chose honesty.
Interestingly, job applicants with Master’s or doctoral degrees reported the highest incidences of lying on resumes (58% frequently lie, 27% have lied once or twice = 85% total) compared to participants without a college degree (29% frequently lie, 42% have lied once or twice = 71% total) and those with bachelor’s or associate degrees lying the least (30% frequently lie, 33% have lied once or twice = 63% total).
There were no other disparities within different demographic groups.
Lies have no gender, age, political affiliation, religion, and work industry.
In our survey, we also examined what exactly U.S.-based job seekers lie about. Respondents could choose all options that applied to their experiences.
Embellishing responsibilities (52%), job title (52%), and the number of people they managed (45%) were the most common lies.
The full breakdown of the data is presented below.
What did you lie about on your resume?
Lying on a resume seems to have deep roots in our insecurity, the need to impress others, and desperation to secure a job quickly. On the one hand, understandable. On the other, unethical.
How about lying on cover letters and during job interviews? Are such behaviors common? Let’s find out.
When asked, “Have you ever lied on a cover letter?” participants answered:
The higher education level of survey takers goes hand in hand with reported higher incidents of lying on cover letters.
Let’s move on to lying during job interviews.
When asked, “Have you ever lied in a job interview?” respondents claimed:
Once again, it turns out that a college diploma is not a truth serum.
Are the risks worth the benefits? Doubtful.
Truth be told. Lying on your resume isn’t worth the consequences. And it definitely doesn’t have to be your first line of action.
Here’s what you can do to boost your chances of getting a job.
Honesty is always the best policy when it comes to job applications and interviews. Even slightly stretching the truth can result in immediate or long-term consequences. Instead of lying about employment history, education, or something more, workers should try shifting the focus to the related experience and transferable skills they can offer.
Can lying on a resume can help you through the recruitment process? Probably yes.
The cost of deception might be very high, though. And to land a job you got from lying on a resume doesn’t necessarily mean surviving the job.
How do you write a resume? With so many conflicting opinions out there, we’ve set out to find the ultimate answer to this question.
Wondering what good skills to put on your resume? Wonder no more! You’ll find a list of the right skills for your resume, regardless of your job or experience.
A cover letter can make or break your entire job application. Discover how to write a cover letter that will impress any recruiter.