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Are You an Accidental Job Application Liar?
By | June 5, 2008
Did you know that it has become commonplace for job applicants to lie on either their resume, cover letter or in the job interview? Most people wouldn’t actually call it lying. It would probably be said to be “stretching the truth” a bit.
For example, say you had the opportunity to work with a group of people that had a great success in the business. It might not cross you mind that saying you headed up the group, instead of just serving as a member of the group is actually “stretching the truth.”
Something a bit more obvious is actually giving yourself a different or better job title, a higher position, or representing that you had a success in the workplace that never happened.
Some public examples have been when high-profile people who get caught lying about their background which often includes padding the actual amount of education achieved over the years. Whatever you do, don’t give yourself degrees that don’t actually exist. That is one of the easiest things for potential employers to check up on and could mean not getting the job or getting kicked out of a job you’re in if you lie.
Take time to go through your job application materials periodically to be sure you haven’t accidentally (or on purpose) represented yourself in ways that are not totally and completely accurate.
Check the accuracy of dates of employment, job titles, duties and accomplishment. When you understand how to word your application materials, you won’t have to worry about trying to upgrade, pad, or accidentally lie about your background, experience and duties.
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