Can Lying On Resume/Job Application Get You Fired? Statistics & More

Do you think lying on resume is not common? Let me tell you, it is not. You may be surprised to find out that many people either falsify or withhold the truth.

You will find many statistics about lying on CV (Curriculum Vitae) and job applications but all of them point to only one thing – twisting or fabrication of facts is increasing and most job seekers are never caught. According to zippia.com 30% of the people either lied on their resume or bent the truth. Furthermore, 80% of these people got away with it.

You might be encouraged to do similar things after reading these kind of stats but let me categorically tell you that you should not. It is not only unethical to do so but also illegal. So, you must stick to the truth and state the facts as they are.

There are ways to make a great resume that will get you your dream job but falsifying is not one of them. You should definitely polish and embellish your CV but avoid misrepresenting the truth at all costs. You can read my other article on how to write a good resume and resume tips.

In this article, I will talk about various aspects of resume falsification and tell you why it is not a good idea. Recruiters have a long history of reviewing resumes and interacting with the candidates. They can easily make out if you are lying or are being honest.

Before you read further, you should know that lying on job application or CV can have serious consequences. It can hamper your career. There have been instances when many executives were fired that included Yahoo’s CEO for lying on their resume.

Lying on Resume – The Top 5 Aspects

1. Most Common Lies on Resume

People often misrepresent the following things:

a. Job Responsibilities

Candidates often include more than the usual responsibilities in their resume than they actually had.

They do so to get a better position in the company. However, this is is counterproductive as interviewers can easily figure it out while asking questions. You should mention only those things that you have done as part of the job. That way you will limit the scope of interview questions.

b. Date of Employment

Many candidates want to show more experience than they actually have thought that it might give them better opportunities.

They try to cover gaps in their career by mentioning incorrect dates. They often get caught when the employer asks for experience letter or does a background check. If you have gaps in your career, you should tell the reasons for such gaps and tell the interviewers what you have done productively during that period.

c. Educational Qualifications

Candidates often tend to fable about their education on resume. They think this might help them to get a job offer.

But when the recruiters run a background check they can easily find it out from a call. If you don’t have any degree, you should go for online courses or do a part-time course. You can list it on your resume that you are doing this, it can be a big plus for someone with no degree.

d. Skills

Most often job candidate has falsely written their skills on resume. They do this to fulfil the job description and to get the job.

It will result in a very dangerous situation once they are caught. When the employer asked the candidates to perform certain tasks, they fail to do so and underperform.

Hence, the employer finds out the candidate is having a lack of skills and experience. If you are not having enough skills try to learn new skills so your resume will be ready for a new job.

e. Job Role or Title

Many candidates exaggerate much about the job title or role. Usually, they did this to achieve a much higher position in their next job.

Recruiters can easily make a check on your previous job position and the candidate will be caught. Instead of doing this, you can focus on what you have and update your skills and collect experience to achieve a higher position.

2. Is Misrepresentation on CV Illegal?

Falsification on a resume is not technically illegal but it can make you face some consequences. In some countries, it might be illegal as each jurisdiction has different laws.

About 85%  of job applicants lied on a resume. If your employer finds out the truth you may get sued for it. A case of fraud may be filed against you or some amount of fine may be charged against you.

Be upfront about your skills, qualifications and responsibilities on your resume and avoid making any mistakes that have consequences.

3. Falseness can be Easily Caught

a. Risk of people working in the previous office

When someone from the current office gets in contact with a person from the previous office, the chances of getting caught will definitely increase.

b. Employer tries to verify

When the current employer thinks the candidate is not working as efficiently as mentioned in the resume, in such cases recruiters do a background check and verify the details.

c. Cannot fulfil what was claimed

When the current employer asks to perform a job but the candidate is not able to perform it because of defaming the information in the resume.

4. Consequences of Bending the Truth on Job Application

a. Damage your reputation

In this age of the digital world, your image can be built and destroyed in seconds. People are reaching out to the internet for all sorts of news. It is also easy for the recruiter to share information with each other. If a recruiter shares any information about an employee that can’t be trusted it will cause huge damage to the employee career.

b. Recruiters may take some legal actions

Candidate cannot object once the recruiter finds out the fraudulence and decided to take some legal actions.

c. Lose the job

The last and ultimate action an employer can take is firing the candidate from the job and that is mainly done because the candidate has breached the trust.

5. What to do if Submitted a False Resume?

Here is what to do if the candidate is still be caught by the authorities.

a. Tell the employer about it

This is the best way to confront the mistake and making up for it. An employer may consider the candidate because they have shared what was wrong or false in the resume.

b. Take back your resume

This option only works when the candidate is still to be employed.

You can take back the resume and opt not to go for this company.

c. Update new resume

There are only a few sections where you can update your resume. If in case of any false information, ask the employer for it by saying you want to make your resume more exact and updated.

d. Make it true

You can complete any unfinished task that you have mentioned in your resume. Try to make yourself a better version in that field for which the information provided was incorrect.

Conclusion

Now that you have read the article and you know that one should never lie about anything on the resume.  But what if already submitted a false resume? Don’t worry, take out time, and write a fresh resume.

Once the resume is updated revert back to the employer and this will make a more positive impression of you as a candidate who is true to his/her job.

Over to You

In my opinion, lying in any situation is not good especially if it is a formal document. What is your take on this? Have you noticed someone falsifying or hiding facts on their resume? What were the consequences?

I would love to hear your thoughts.