The precipitous ups and downs of the current job market have led many a job seeker to follow precarious paths to securing a position. Recent recruiting research shows that a sizeable percentage of prospective candidates have embellished or flat-out fabricated elements of their backgrounds or skill sets to assure an offer.
You may think that you would never be reduced to deception in order to gain an unfair advantage in consideration for a new job … but add in the stress of interviewing and the realities of today’s uncertain economy, and you – yes, you – may find yourself considering embellishing your background or your qualifications to try to get a leg up.
It may seem that overstating facts or falsifying details to get ahead are the order of the day in today’s hiring environment … but we’re here to tell you why that’s always a terrible idea – and why it’s never necessary if you have the right tools and career coaching team in your corner.
The Cost of Exaggeration
Being caught in a deception can result in immediate disqualification from the hiring process, damage to one’s professional reputation, and potential legal consequences.
Taken into consideration, you may be wondering what details job seekers misrepresent in their efforts to get ahead.
It seems everything from sprucing up skills and responsibilities to inflating job titles and accomplishments have been up for exaggeration, and even – in some extreme cases – inventing positions, the names of prior companies, and the very existence of volunteer work.
By doing so, candidates may think that they’re placing themselves at the top of the crop of resumes a recruiter is sifting through or outwitting AI-powered applicant tracking systems. While it may be tempting to overstate achievements during the recruitment process, the risks of stretching the truth always outweigh the rewards, especially as organizations take greater lengths to establish a new hire’s credentials.
These efforts include online searches, employment verification, background checks, and reference checks, all aimed at protecting an organization’s reputation and avoiding legal complications. With this information more accessible than ever, it should serve as a strong deterrent for any candidate considering embellishment.
How to Stay True to Yourself and Your Accomplishments During the Hiring Process
It’s never a good idea to go into a relationship built on a foundation of lies, so here are some tips on how to accentuate your (true) accomplishments and attributes throughout the hiring process:
Ensure your resume is impeccable: Take care to tailor your resume to each position you apply for, playing up applicable roles and skills that fit the job you want. Speaking of…
Emphasize transferrable skills: If the position you’re after isn’t directly in line with your current career trajectory, highlight the capabilities you’ve acquired along the way that apply to your desired role.
Affirm your enthusiasm for the organization: Do your due diligence on the company you’re courting and carefully prepare your questions about how you can contribute to its ongoing success.
Enlist the assistance of a career coaching and job-finding firm: At the end of the day, it’s imperative to have skilled job-finding consultants on your side. An adept career consulting team like 20/20 Foresight is invaluable.
Your Partners in Navigating Today’s Job Market with Integrity
The team at 20/20 Foresight Executive Marketing & Job Finding helps you to best present your qualifications and capabilities so that honesty will always be your best policy.
We help you establish a positive and truthful professional presence by:
- Crafting resumes that showcase your authentic qualifications in a compelling way.
- Creating a polished social media presence that aligns with your resume and effectively highlights your true achievements.
- Curating references who will enhance your candidacy, including conducting thorough due diligence to ensure they contribute positively to your professional image.
- Providing interview coaching that prepares you to present your true strengths confidently.
- Helping you to frame exit stories that resonate with integrity.
- Developing strategies to address potential challenges in your job candidacy, such as resume gaps or past terminations .
Connect with us today to start crafting your own personal job-finding strategy that is unlike anyone else’s and completely true to you.