This is how you can tell when someone is lying on their resume

This is how you can tell when someone is lying on their resumeThis is how you can tell when someone is lying on their resumeOn a recent episode of the brilliant show that is Below Deck Mediterranean new deckhand Head Stew Hannah Ferrier realizes that her new Third Stew (deckhand) Kasey Cohen is bedrngnis only very seasick (and now drugged up) but also lied about her work experience on her resume as she is notlage good at table service, do laundry or make a cup of coffee. She claims to have worked on yachts before, but upon research this yacht appears to be more of a booze cruise.But if you think it is only common for young, third-tier, reality yacht show stars with intense boat vertigo to pad their resumes, you would be wrong. Earlier this month Samsonite CEORamesh Tainwalaresignedafter a report was releasedquestioninghis credentials. Blue Orca stated that he had falsely claimed on his resume that he earned a doctorate degree in business administration from Union Institute and Univer sity in Cincinnati. It seems like it would be a no-brainer to not lie on your resume. If you are caught, it usually doesnt end well and yet people seem to keep doing it.According toHireRights 2017 employment screening benchmark report, 85% of employers caught applicants fibbing on their resumes or applications.Ladders talked with Amanda Augustine,career advice expert forTopResume,to try to understand the motivation behind embellishing on your resume and how you can tell when someone is.The clear-cut signals someone is lying on a resumeIf the career progression of titles looks wonky (for example, making big jumps from junior sales associate to director of sales with little explanation), thats usually a red flag. In addition, if the work history on a persons LinkedIn profile is wildly different than what appears on their resume (job titles, company names, and/or dates of employment dont match up), then I immediately begin to question the authenticity of that persons story. If I cant f ind one of the employers online, I will definitely want to dig into that during the interview. Its unusual not to find any mention of a company online.Otherwise, the lies usually reveal themselves during the interview process. If I start probing a candidate during an interview about something on their resume that just didnt add up, I usually uncover the truth.Most common resume liesIve seen numerous job candidates state that theyre currently employed on their after resume theyve been terminated from or left a job. Ive also seen people extend the end date of a job to match the amount of severance they received (e.g. if the person was fired in February and received severance for three months, theyd list their end date for that job as May instead) to decrease the perceived employment gap.I also caught a former staff member flat-out lying on LinkedIn - and, I assume, his resume - about the position he held when we both worked at one of my former employers. He worked in customer servic e and stated that he was a brand manager at the company and was intimately involved in the explosive growth of the company, which was simply untrue. Incidentally, I noticed he has since changed his job title to accurately reflect his role.How to avoid telling a lieWork with what you haveWhile some resume rules are standard, there are many guidelines that can be bent based on your work history, experiences, and job goals. Remember, a resume is a marketing document - the goal of it is to position you in the best light for your target position by highlighting your best selling points. If your current format isnt working for you, test small changes to see what will.Ask for helpThe job search can be a lonely place, but it doesnt have to be. Seek services likeTopResumeandLaddersto get a professional, objective, and free review of your resume.How to explain an employment gap or odd job titleEmployment gapThere are a few ways you can work around an employment gap.If you participated in any professional-development activities, worked as a freelancer, or offered your services to help a friends business, or pursued a skill-based volunteer opportunity that allowed you to leverage your marketable skills, you can incorporate this information into your resume to minimize the employment gap.Also, consider how you format the dates of your employment to draw attention away from periods of unemployment. In some instances, its better to stick with just the years to mask over an employment gap (i.e., 2015 2017 and 2017 Present vs. Jan 2015 Jan 2017 and Nov 2017 Present) whereas other times you want to use the full dates to downplay the length of your unemployment (i.e. Jan 2013 May 2018 vs. 2013 2018).Weird titleIf no one outside your organization will understand what your job title means, translate it. List a translation for your title in parentheses next to the actual job title. For example, if you might put Director of Community (Director of Customer Service) to clarify your role in customer-service management to anyone who quickly glances at your resume.Why we tell lies on our resumesMost people convince themselves that its just a little white lie and they wont get caught - or if they do, it will be minor enough not to affect their employment or candidacy. Others may rationalize that theyre doing what they need to in order to be fairly evaluated for a job, as unemployed candidates and those without certain degrees or educational achievements are at a disadvantage in the job market.However, recent news stories prove this isnt true. While you might be able to get by for a while without getting caught, lying on your resume or other personal marketing materials will catch up with you at some point. At the end of the day, its simply not worth it.