Whats On Your Rsum By Andrew Adams Leah

What’s On Your Résumé? By: Andrew Adams, Leah Ali, Maike Blakely, Lauren Boe, and Brittney Bryant

Introduction Résumé padding occurs more now than it ever has before Approximately half of all résumés have inaccurate information A third of all résumés contain lies Embellishing and lying on résumés occurs more often in economic hard times Effects employers and job seekers

What is Résumé Padding “refers to any act that involves providing fictitious, exaggerated, or otherwise misleading information on a job application or résumé in hopes of persuading a potential employer to hire an applicant for a job they may be unqualified for or less qualified than other applicants. ”* * "Combat Resume Fraud". Inquest Pre Employment Screening. Archived from the original on 2007 -03 -02. http: //web. archive. org/web/20070302165400/http: //www. inquestscreening. com/preemployment_background_Screeening_Combat_Resume_Fraud. asp. Retrieved 2007 -07 -26.

Why Résumés Are Padded Economic hard times The economy is in a depression, and you’ve gone months without even a nibbling on your résumé from potential employers so desperation sinks in Fired from your last job Do not have the right qualifications Naively believe that future employers won’t check to make sure your résumé is correct If employers now-a-days will check out a potential employees Facebook, of course they are going to check the facts on your résumé

Embellish Versus Lies Embellishment Brag with verifiable numbers Share what you learned not what you almost were able to learn Lie (aka padding your résumé) Exaggerated Euphemisms Numbers and Dates Changing the period of time you were employed, to remove unemployment gaps Changing the age you got your degrees, held previous jobs to make yourself look younger. Claiming Degrees you haven’t earned

Academia Marilee Jones MIT Dean of Admissions Resigned after 28 years She had claimed she received degrees from a number of institutions Ramifications MIT received negative attention Integrity of Jones’s claims degraded

Academia Ethical and Moral Issues Example of dishonesty Integrity Academic Setting Amplifies seriousness Reflection of institution Impact on importance of administrative verification

In the world of sports… George O’Leary was forced to resign five days after being hired as head coach of Notre Dame football team Claimed to have a Master’s Degree he did not possess Claimed he was a 3 time letterman in college Never actually played in a single game

Food Network Case Background: "Robert Irvine. " : Chefs : Food Network. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 June 2012. <http: //www. foodnetwork. com/robert-irvine/bio/index. html>. Food Network Star Robert Irvine Lied on Resume Claimed to have helped create Princess Diana’s Wedding Cake Claimed to have a degree from the University of Leeds Embellish details about White House Chef Job Stakeholders: The Food Network, Robert Irvine, and other Food Network Show Candidates

Food Network Case Ethical Issues: Honesty and Integrity Consequences and Outcomes: Robert Irvine was replaced on his Food Network Show at the end of his contract Business partners backed out from plans for new restaurants Rehired by the Food Network on the show Restaurant: Impossible

Corporate Case In late 2011 - early 2012 Yahoo was on the hunt for a new CEO They ended up hiring Scott Thompson to head the company Thompson claimed he had Source: Paypal via CNN Money degrees in accounting and computer science among his qualifications

Corporate Case However, Thompson did not have the computer science degree He did possess the accounting degree The lies only came to light when the company became caught up in a “proxy war” for control of the board Thompson was forced to resign in disgrace

Corporate Case This case stands out because of how Thompson got caught A major investor involved in the battle for control of the board claimed to have discovered that Thompson lied using only a simple Google search If it can be this easy to get caught, then lying is just not worth the risk

Consequences of Résumé Padding Your reputation will be damaged, along with your current and future employer’s trust of you You will endure embarrassment You will be forced to do tasks that you are unqualified to do because you lied on your résumé You will lose the respect of your colleagues You will most likely be fired

Just to make sure you’re still awake This résumé padding is just as ridiculous as: 1) If you claim on your résumé a degree that you haven’t earned 2) If you claim on your résumé skills that you don’t have, and then are distraught when the employer ask you to demonstrate these skills 3) You thinking that you are going to get away with padding your résumé

Embellishing Without Lying There is a fine line between embellishing your résumé and lying on it Listed below are some tips to give this line clarity Avoid half-truths and exaggerations Use keywords to help your résumé stand out Focus on accomplishments that are quantifiable Only change titles if it’ll clarify your position Address gaps in your résumé Do not list degrees that are not finished

What Does All That Mean? Avoid half-truths and exaggerations Most hiring managers are skilled at interpreting embellishments in a résumé Use keywords to help your résumé stand out Instead of embellishing your titles and accomplishments, use industry keywords that will be recognizable and will show the hiring managers reviewing your résumé where your expertise lies exactly If you’re submitting your résumé electronically, keywords will also help your résumé get flagged

What Does All That Mean? (con’t) Focus on accomplishments that are quantifiable When detailing your past accomplishments, use specifics Actual numbers and percentages sound more reliable Only change titles if it’ll clarify your position If your title sheds very little light on what you did at your job, then it is okay to use a better title that will clarify your position For example, if your title is “office contact”, but you performed the same duties as an “administrative assistant”, it would be safe to use the latter

What Does All That Mean? (con’t) Address gaps in your résumé To maintain chronological clarity, address gaps in your résumé instead of falsifying the dates of your past jobs to cover an employment gap Do not list degrees that are not finished If you are still working on your degree, you cannot list it as an earned degree Instead, list it with your intended graduation date and relevant coursework completed

Bottom Line There is no excuse for lying on your résumé If you can’t get the job your applying for with your current credentials then don’t apply for it Losing any professional credibility or standing you may have is not worth fudging your résumé There will be other jobs out there, so just be patient and wait for a job that you are qualified for to be available

Sources Goodman, Cindy K. "Lying on Résumé a Really Bad Idea. " The Miami Herald. N. p. , 15 May 2012. Web. 13 June 2012. <http: //www. miamiherald. com/2012/05/15/2801282/lying-on-resume-a-really-bad-idea. html>. Papandrea, Dawn. "Resume Lies Will Come Back to Haunt You. " Resume 66. N. p. , 16 May 2012. Web. 13 June 2012. <http: //www. resume 66. com/blog/resume-lies-will-come-back-to-haunt-you/>. "Robert Irvine. " : Chefs : Food Network. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 June 2012. <http: //www. foodnetwork. com/robertirvine/bio/index. html>. Lorenz, Kate. "6 Ways to Embellish Your Resume Without Lying. " Experience. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 June 2012. <http: //www. experience. com/alumnus/article? channel_id=Resumes&source_page=additional_articles&article_i d=article_1203709417499>. Walzer, Philip. "Job Seekers Caught in the Act of Resume Fraud. " Hampton. Roads. com: Entertainment and Guides for Hampton Roads, Va. The Virginia-Pilot, 4 May 2007. Web. 13 June 2012. <http: //hamptonroads. com/node/260511>. "Statement by Marilee Jones. " MIT's News Office. N. p. , 26 Apr. 2007. Web. 13 June 2012. http: //web. mit. edu/newsoffice/2007/admissions-jones. html

Sources (con’t) , and Diana Miller. 2011. Photograph. Career Fitness Pro. Web. 14 Jun 2012. <http: //careerfitnesspro 101. blogspot. com/2011/01/tips-on-landing-andinterview. html>. . "Padding a Resume Can Come Back to Haunt You. " Lawyers. com. Lexis. Nexis, n. d. Web. 14 Jun 2012. <http: //labor-employment-law. lawyers. com/Hunting/Padding-a-Resume-Can-Come-Back-to-Haunt-You. html>. Mc. Daniel, Darlene. "Is Padding Your Resume Dishonest? . " Every. Joe, 03 11 2008. Web. 14 Jun 2012. <http: //everyjoe. com/work/is-padding-your-resume-dishonest-198/>. "Combat Resume Fraud". Inquest Pre Employment Screening. Archived from the original on 2007 -03 -02. http: //web. archive. org/web/20070302165400/http: //www. inquestscreening. com/preemployment_background_ Screeening_Combat_Resume_Fraud. asp. Retrieved 2007 -07 -26.

Sources (con’t) Adams, Susan. "After Yahoo Debacle, What's Next For Scott Thompson? " Forbes Magazine, 15 May 2012. Web. 15 June 2012. <http: //www. forbes. com/sites/susanadams/2012/05/15/whats-next-for-scott-thompson/>. "CNNSI. com - College Football - O'Leary Finds Himself out of a Job at Notre Dame - Saturday December 15, 2001 12: 02 AM. " CNNSI. com - College Football - O'Leary Finds Himself out of a Job at Notre Dame - Saturday December 15, 2001 12: 02 AM. Sports Illustrated, 14 Dec. 2001. Web. 15 June 2012. <http: //sportsillustrated. cnn. com/football/college/news/2001/12/14/oleary_notredame/>. Di Meglio, Francesca. "The Temptation to Lie on Your Resume. " Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg, 8 June 2009. Web. 15 June 2012. <http: //www. businessweek. com/bschools/blogs/mba_admissions/archives/2009/06/the_temptation. html>. Pepitone, Julianne. "Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson Caught Padding His Resume. " CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 03 May 2012. Web. 15 June 2012. <http: //money. cnn. com/2012/05/03/technology/yahoo-thompsoneducation/index. htm? iid=EL>. Pepitone, Julianne. "Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson out after Resume Scandal. " CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 13 May 2012. Web. 15 June 2012. <http: //money. cnn. com/2012/05/13/technology/yahoo-ceo-out/index. htm>. Stewart, James B. "COMMON SENSE; In the Undoing Of a C. E. O. , A Puzzle. " The New York Times, 19 May 2012. Web. 15 June 2012. <http: //www. nytimes. com/2012/05/19/business/the-undoing-of-scottthompson-at-yahoo-common-sense. html? pagewanted=all>.