Why Honesty
is the Best Policy When Job Searching
By Marc Belaiche, CPA, CA
There are many examples of high
profile people over the years who have been unceremoniously fired for lying on
their resumes. Statistics in a recent study by ADP posted by Statistic Brain
indicate that 78% of resumes were found to be misleading.
However, this is just the tip of the
iceberg as there are many less publicized stories when it comes to searching
for a new position.
During the course of my recruiting
career, I have uncovered many falsehoods that job seekers had given me such as:
·
Indicating they were still employed
with their company even though they were no longer working there (probably the
most common falsehood);
·
Extending the dates of employment
with their employer(s) to fill in gaps on their resume;
·
Omitting positions/work experience
from their resume to remove short-term employment;
·
Providing misleading information
about their work experience or title(s);
·
Explaining they quit previous
positions when they were actually terminated;
·
Advising that their credit and/or
criminal check would be clean when it wasn’t;
·
Exaggerating their compensation
(salary, bonus and/or benefits) in order to receive a better offer; and
·
Indicating their education was in the
later stages or had been complete when that wasn’t the case.
Many times it was incredibly easy to
find out someone wasn’t telling the truth by way of questioning the person
thoroughly, reference checking, and speaking to previous co-workers or managers
who raised red flags which suggested further investigation of the person was required.
It is extremely important to be
honest when it comes to job searching. Lack of honesty may lead to a whole host
of problems such as cancelled interviews, withdrawal of job offers, lost career
advancement opportunities, dismissal, embarrassment for you/your family, mistrust
between you, the interviewer, and your current or former employer.
Conclusion
Be honest up front in your job search.
If you get caught in an inconsistency come out right away about it. You’ll only
be digging your own hole further by not disclosing something as soon as it
becomes known.
Note: This article is not intended to
provide legal advice and readers are encouraged to consult with a lawyer for
any legal advice pertaining to the points raised in this article.
***********************************************************
Marc Belaiche is a CPA, CA and is President of TorontoJobs.ca, an
Internet recruitment business and recruiting firm located in the Greater
Toronto Area. Marc is also the author of the book “Tales from the
Recruiter”. Marc has been in the recruitment industry since 1995.
TorontoJobs.ca allows companies to post their positions online, search a resume
database to find candidates, provides outplacement services and full temporary
and permanent recruitment services. TorontoJobs.ca also allows candidates to
search and apply to positions directly online and get career, interviewing and
resume tips all at no charge. Marc is also President of
TorontoEntrepreneurs.ca, an organization geared towards business owners (www.TorontoEntrepreneurs.ca) and has the annual Toronto Entrepreneurs Conference (www.TorontoEntrepreneurs.ca/conference). You can reach Marc at marc.belaiche@torontojobs.ca and check out TorontoJobs.ca at www.TorontoJobs.ca.
