How Companies Can Spot Lies on a Resume

Job applicants lie for a variety of reasons. According to The Wood Companies, some of the most common resume lies include false dates that fill employment-history gaps, falsely claiming to have earned a degree or professional designation, overstating salary and achievements, and taking personal credit for team successes. If you're tempted to embellish your job history, note that resume lies are so common that companies have a number of ways to spot them.

Many job applicants operate under the erroneous assumption that previous employers can't give negative information about them. Although many companies have policies against giving more than basic information, most employers will confirm information such as your title, length of service, and salary at the time you left. Resume lies about any of these items are therefore easy to detect, and often are detected when HR staff call your references.

Resume lies that slip through reference checking may be caught during the interview. For example, an employer might ask a question about a technical topic that requires advanced understanding to answer. If you falsely claimed that expertise on your resume, your inability to answer the question is likely to give you away.

Interviewers who suspect resume lies about your management experience may ask you pointed questions about leadership skills you developed in your last job, as well as the types of challenges you encountered. The Wood Companies notes that if you told the truth about your experience, you'll be able to communicate your leadership style and skill.

It's possible that you'll be caught in resume lies about the successes you list when the interviewer asks you detailed questions about the processes you followed or the skills you used. The interviewer may also ask you to explain how you'd apply what you learned to your new position.

Some resume lies only come to light after you've started your job. If your resume says you're fluent in another language, but the extent of your fluency is really just a few basic phrases, you'll be caught when you flub your first foreign-language conversation. Lying about programming skills, or experience with a particular software program, is similarly risky. Even if you've been with a company for years, and they're satisfied with your performance, you're at risk of losing your job if your employer learns after the fact that you lied on your resume.

If you're caught in a lie before you start work for a company, the best thing to do may be to withdraw your application. It's better to lose out on being hired than to lose a job you've already landed. Revamp your resume before sending it out again.

Don't let a competitive job market and the flood of resumes many employers get for job postings tempt you to embellish your education, experience or skills. Instead, use your cover letter to explain gaps and weaknesses. An honest self-assessment that expresses the desire to learn is more likely to impress an employer than is a list of superficial resume lies.

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