Why You Should Avoid Bending The Truth On Your CV

The job market can be a competitive place with companies looking to hire the best candidates out there. It can sometimes seem difficult to stand out and some candidates may feel tempted to bend the truth on their CV to get noticed.

But by embellishing this information, it can land you in hot water and could affect your future career prospects.  A large amount of employers would also be unwilling to offer a role to someone who hasn’t been fully truthful during the recruitment process. 

To enable you to give a good first impression to a potential employer, you should avoid bending the truth about the following on your CV…  

Job Titles
A job title is one of the first things which a hiring manager will review when browsing a candidate’s CV.  After all, a title can convey a number of things including importance and level of responsibility. If you’re tempted to edit your current job title, you will quickly be found out. An interviewer can easily follow up any references to double check that all information is legitimate.

Date Of Employment
Having good longevity can demonstrate that you are a committed individual who doesn’t job hop and is likely to stay with an employer if offered a role. Some candidates may feel the need to extend the time they were with a certain employer to cover any gaps in their CV. However an employer would prefer a candidate to be honest about their time out of employment and how they used it to develop their skillset.

Academic Achievements
Including false information about your academic achievements can land you in deep water; as this practice is considered to be fraud.  In some roles, such as those in the healthcare profession, having a specific degree is critical as it can lead to serious repercussions if an employee doesn’t have the right qualifications. To prevent this from happening, a large number of companies will request to see copies of certificates to ensure that qualifications are legitimate.  

Career Goals
When discussing your career aspirations, you may be tempted to tailor your future plans to match those listed on the job role which you applying for. However this can only cheat yourself out of achieving what you really want.  Always be clear about where you want to go and discuss this with your employer, as they will be able to assist you working towards your ambitions.

Skills & Abilities
Having an embellished skill set on your CV may impress the hiring manager initially, however when it comes to the interview, you will be asked to provide evidence to back up your skills. This can lead to embarrassment on the candidate’s part if they are unable to prove their abilities and it is likely will not be successful in landing the job.  

Duties & Responsibilities
Having an impressive list of responsibilities on your CV can help to gain the attention of the recruiter. However if you get offered the job, you may find yourself in too deep if you are unable to perform the duties listed on your CV. Instead you should tailor your CV to the role which you applying for and expand on any relevant duties which maybe suitable.   

Interests & Hobbies
You may not think exaggerating your interests and hobbies would do too much damage to your career; however it can tarnish your reputation if you get found out.  Many candidates include exaggerated hobbies on their CV as they believe this will make them appear as ‘more interesting.’ Alternatively, you should expand on any hobbies which may be of interest to the employer; such as when you have undertaken additional responsibility outside of the workplace.