Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the perfect job applicant. All of us, at one time or another, has been late for work…has made a statement at work that we later regretted…or experienced conflict on the job with a colleague, supervisor, client, or customer. As a result, we may feel as if we need to conceal our shortcomings in order to secure our ideal job. Part of that concealment campaign may involve including inaccuracies, exaggerations, or outright lies on our resumes.

Lying Has Become All Too Common

In fact, one employment agency estimates that nearly a third of all job applicants may include intentional distortions in the resumes they compose. If you have a great deal of integrity, this figure may seem to be quite appalling—especially if you’ve worked in positions where you have been entrusted with a great deal of responsibility.

Yet, interestingly enough, a number of employers are not all that surprised that there is lying going on in the job applicant pool. In fact, some employers have come to accept the idea that a certain percentage of job seekers will include falsehoods on their resumes. Still, the fact that employers recognize this phenomenon does not mean they accept it. An increasing number of managers have become quite skilled at detecting lies in resumes. Because their “truth detectors” are especially well developed, it’s likely that you will have difficulty obtaining your desired position if you don’t tell the truth in your resume.

Employers Know What to Look For

Perhaps the most important reason that companies have become better able to uncover lies on resumes is the fact that managers are keenly aware of the lies most commonly told on resumes. For instance, a number of job applicants attempt to portray themselves as having achieved lofty positions in an attempt to cover up the fact that they never progressed beyond a certain level in their work. They lie about their job titles—giving themselves positions that never really existed. A quick reference check can often reveal this falsehood—to the embarrassment of the job applicant.

Prospective employees also may be embarrassed by the fact that, while they did attend college, they never actually earned a degree. As a result, in an attempt to make up for this shortcoming, they list a BA where none exists. A diligent employer can easily find out whether a candidate earned a degree at a particular educational institution; therefore, lying about one’s educational credentials can easily backfire.

Does Everyone Lie About Money?

Fortunately, the vast majority of job applicants would never inflate their paycheck on their resumes—but some do, and employers know it. A prospective worker may believe that he or she is unlikely to command a desirable salary—unless his or her current salary is exaggerated. But the fact of the matter is that a potential employer can double-check your salary with your current employer—so there’s no benefit in lying about your earnings.

Overemphasizing Your Accomplishments

Job applicants who are particularly insecure may attempt to exaggerate their achievements on their resumes in order to make their candidacy more appealing to a manager. Granted, it may be difficult for a would-be employer to check to see whether you indeed boosted sales in your department by 20 percent or whether you earned an employee of the month designation at the job you held three years ago. This is because many businesses are only willing to confirm basic facts about a former worker, such as start date, end date, and position held.

Yet, it can be said that employers have their ways of verifying key information. For instance, in a job interview, a manager may ask you a series of direct questions about a questionable accomplishment that you list on your resume. If the interviewer finds you to be inconsistent in your answers, he or she may have reason to believe you’re fudging your resume.

In addition, the truth about your accomplishments may come out in the course of your employer interviewing your references about your background. For example, if a reference laughs when the manager refers to you as “Smithton’s top seller,” your lie has been easily exposed.

A Consultant Can Reveal Your Weaknesses

Because of the prevalence of inauthentic resumes, some companies actually hire firms that specialize in exposing individuals who have lied on their resumes. These outfits possess the special knowledge needed to unearth details that will reveal misstatements on resumes and job applications. Given this fact of modern business life, it is more important than ever that you include only truthful statements on your resume.

How to Avoid the Inadvisable Lie

In many cases, job applicants lie on their resumes because of one single overriding factor: shame. They are ashamed of their lack of education…their lack of experience…a misstep in their career…or a firing that left them devastated. In other words, a job applicant doesn’t necessarily want to lie. Rather, he or she may feel as if circumstances require it.

But, in actuality, there is no situation in which a job applicant would be required to lie. If there is something in his or her background that could be an obstacle to gain employment, the job seeker needs to deal with it head-on—in as professional manner as possible.

Arrange your resume so that it showcases your skills in the best possible way. If you lack experience in a certain area required by a given job, simply emphasize those skills you do have. Be forthright in how much education you have, recognizing the fact that an employer may be willing to waive a degree requirement because of the amount of experience you’ve amassed.

Rather than lying about your previous job titles, list the correct titles—then make sure that you include all relevant information about your successes in your various professional roles. While your resume should not be a long-winded dissertation, it should be complete. By packaging your qualifications well, you will earn the respect of a manager and, possibly, a job offer in the process.