Imagine this interview situation: The job candidate being interviewed has stated on their resume they speak fluent Spanish, and when the interviewer closes the interview in Spanish, the candidate looks bewildered and embarrassed.
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Hiring decision makers are being flooded with resumes, as you would expect in a tight job market where competition is high. It is surprising the number of resumes that misrepresent skills or experience.
Some statistics indicate at least 40% of all resumes lack in honesty.
As job seekers become increasingly desperate, the number of misleading resumes increases. The problem with this type of short-term solution to beating out the competition is it never resolves anything and only creates more of what you were avoiding in the first place — searching for a job.
Spin is a familiar term in the political and media fields where information is often presented in a positive way to influence the reader or listener. When candidates embellish their achievements, compensation, credentials, college GPAs and gaps in employment history, they’re spinning information.
When it comes to marketing your background to potential employers, the goal is to get attention and influence the hiring decision maker to call you for an interview. As a job candidate, you want your experience and skill sets to jump out at the audience in a positive way and reflect your credibility as a professional.
Human-resource and other hiring decision makers are very sensitive to the increase in dishonest resumes, and if your accomplishments look to good to be true, they might sound misleading to an interviewer.
So, how do you compete with those who are spinning their qualifications?
• Stick to the facts in an honest way, and be prepared to explain your results in a succinct way.
• Be prepared to back up compensation with tax forms or pay stubs.
• Make copies of degrees and any professional certifications to submit if asked.
• Practice talking about gaps in employment history so you don’t sound defensive.
• Back up your references with accomplishments and experience.
