Aug 11, 2006 7:48 pm US/Eastern
Resume Fabricators Beware!
Many Companies Can Weed Out The Liars
by Sara Underwood
BOSTON (CBS4) ―
When Todd Bermont recently applied for a job, he said he knew he had a resume that rocked, what he didn't expect was how far the company would go to make sure it was all true.
"The recruiter actually made me provide her with copies of W-2s and old tax returns," Bermont said. "Also, to provide my college transcript to prove what I was saying on my resume was accurate."
Now more than ever, companies are out to separate fact from fiction when it comes to your resume.
"We want to hire people we can trust. We have found that unfortunately, statistically speaking, about 40 percent of the resumes we as a company find are faulty," said John Lee, a CEO.
The corporate world is wising up.
A person who lies about their experience can cost a business big bucks down the road, and in the wake of such scandals as Enron – tighter regulations have made companies more careful.
In his book, "10 Insider Secrets to a Winning Job Search," Bermont warns that it's easier than ever for companies to weed out resume lies.
"There are on line services that can provide information about your credit history and your employment history," he said.
So job seekers, beware. When it comes to your resume, Bermont said you should play it straight, or risking losing out.
"In today's day and age, you can't lie about what you're capable of doing," he said.
Web Extra Info:
(Source:
Forbes.com) In a survey of human-resources professionals, almost 40 percent reported an increase in the amount of time they spend checking references.
In verifying resumes, employers have the right to do background checks themselves, but more and more employers are hiring services for that purpose. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires employers to get written authorization from an applicant to do a background or credit check if an outside agency will be used.
The Sarbanes-Oxley bill of 2002 was passed after public outcry from the collapse of Enron, WorldComm, HealthSouth and other firms. The new regulations call for greater corporate responsibility and stricter internal controls, in part to prevent fraud. Bermont says the hiring process is a big part of that equation.
Top Resume Lies:
College degrees
Altering dates
Inflating numbers (sales figures, etc)
Previous salaries
Inflating job titles
Lying about technical abilities
Lying about language fluency
Fake addresses
Padding grade point averages
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