With a lot of competition for the best jobs, many applicants try to cut corners, embellish or flat our lie on their resume to try to get that illusive call back from a hiring manager. According to Forbes, more than a third of job applicants confess to lying on their resume.
Education
To find out if a candidate really earned that double master’s degree, ask the candidate to bring in documentation from the school. If it’s an obscure college or university, this should raise a red flag. Perform an online search to confirm that the school exists.
Fake Companies
Claims to have worked for companies you’ve never heard of. If you can’t find a trace of information about the company online, then chances are it’s not real.
Fake Job Titles
Many job seekers use fake Job titles to embellish their previous experience to make them sound more experienced and accomplished than they are.
Exaggerating Language and Claims
Exaggerating language and extraordinary claims that are impossible to prove such as “Increased sales from X million to Y million in first year”. Or, self-acclamations such as “a pioneer in…”, “recognized, world-class leader…” and other terms that can’t be verified. These kinds of claims should set off alarm bells immediately.
Unexplained Resume Gaps
Unexplained long resume gaps. It’s perfectly normal for candidates to have gaps in their resume for various reasons such as staying home with kids, family reasons, doing contract work etc. But, all these things can be explained on a resume.
Vague Language and Work History
Broad references to industries; ex 3 years in the IT industry, without any detail as to who they worked for.
Listing Fake Skills
Claiming to know a broad range of software or other technical skills. Don’t be afraid to test their skills during the interview process.
Certifications and licenses
To seem more educated or qualified, some candidates will claim to have certifications and licenses when they actually don’t.
Unfortunately, too many job applicants embellish or flat out lie on their resumes. If you come across these kinds of red flags, be sure to ask detailed questions during the interview process. Request documents to back up claims, check social media pages for inconsistencies or other red flags, and trust your instinct. If something seems suspicious or too good to be true, then it probably is. By doing a little bit of research work, you’ll make sure that you offer the job to the most qualified candidate.
