Although it should be obvious, sometimes it isn’t. Honesty is the best policy.
We’ve all heard stories about people who embellish their resumes and even there are those who outright lie. For the older job seeker the temptation is especially great.
That job was 30 years ago. No one will check.
Don’t be so sure. In this information age, if a prospective employer wants to “fact check” you and/or your resume, they can do it.
And even if they don’t and your misleading or untrue resume passes muster. You may still get the interview – and isn’t that what you really want?
OK. So you get the resume past the screener and you’re able to bluff your way through the interview. Now what? Maybe you get the job. Congratulations. You just landed a job that you can’t do.
How long do you think it’s going to be before someone at your new company figures that out? Probably not very long.
And then what. You’re out on the street again looking for another job – except now you’ve established a track record as someone who can’t be trusted. How do you think that will look when you apply again?
Your resume must be geniune. Your interview answers must be as close to the truth as you can possibly make them, and if you’re not sure, say so. It’s better to say, “I can’t remember,” than to lie about it.
It was Abraham Lincoln who said, “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.”