How far are you willing to go to get a job? More than half of us admit to lying on our resumes at some point — about 51% of women and 60% of men.
That could be as many as 42.5 million people by 2022, according to a survey of more than 1,700 Americans by StandOut CV. Resume service companies ask people who are currently working or have previously worked about lying on resumes, about their references or in interviews.
Certain types of lying are especially common, the survey found. Here are the most common resume lies and the percentage of people who admit them:
- Previous work experience: 55.4%
- Skills: 43.1%
- Bachelor degree (or equivalent): 41%
- Personal details (age, location, name): 39.5%
- High school details: 39.2%
- Salary information: 33.6%
- Job-specific software or equipment skills: 33.5%
- Employer reference: 21%
People in certain industries are also more likely to lie, especially in manufacturing (72% say they have), healthcare (64%), and art or other creative work (63%).
Some people may find selective omission to be a lie, but older workers in particular may want to take steps to lower their risk of age discrimination.
Listing things that aren’t true, on the other hand, is likely to backfire on you. Employers must be aware of the prevalence of deceit and are given expert advice on detecting deceit.
