As an HR pro, you know people write their resumes to put themselves in the best possible light — nothing wrong with that. However, some applicants don’t know where to draw the line between a little embellishment and outright lies.
Careerbulider.com surveyed hiring managers to collect the most outrageous claims they’re seen on resumes.
Applicants claimed:
- That they were a member of the Kennedy family
- To attend a school that didn’t exist
- Membership in Mensa
- That they looked much different — resumes included photos of someone else
- To be a CEO of a company when they were an hourly employee
- They had worked for someone when they actually hadn’t
- To have military experience that dated back to before they were born
- They had done work they hadn’t done (and the work was actually done by the interviewer)
- To be Hispanic when they were 100% Caucasian, and
- To have played pro baseball.
The hiring managers surveyed said lies about job duties and responsibilities were the most common.
The survey found the most lies and embellishment in the hospitality industry, with transportation/utilities and information technology close behind.
What lies have you found on applicants resumes? Let us know in the comments box below.