Resumes are marketing tools with the purpose of getting an interview. In response, candidates have been advised to and target resumes specifically for each job opportunity. According to CareerBuilder, 57% of the hiring managers surveyed said they found a lie on the candidate’s application paperwork in 2006. About.com reports that 10% to 30% of job seekers either embellish or lie on their resume.  A December, 2008 Wall Street Journal article says:”More phony resumes could appear as more people become desperate for jobs.”

The most common resume deceptions include:             

Stretched dates of employment.

Playing with dates.

Inflated past accomplishment and technical skills.

Progress towards or earned degrees.

Unexplained gaps and periods of self unemployment.

Increased previous salary or total compensation.

Enhanced job titles and responsibility.

Faked certifications and credentials.

Claimed language fluency.

Fake addresses.

Omitted past employment.

Fabricated reasons for leaving a position.

Fraudulent references.

Misrepresented military records.

Grade point manipulation.

Technology, pre-screening companies, behavioral interview techniques, pre-employment testing, and internet tools like Google and social media have given recruiters, hiring managers, and HR, not to mention customers and co-workers, ready access to career and personal information. It’s tough to fudge details. It’s even tougher to remember how details were fudged during an interview or down the road. It’s not just senior management; candidates at all levels are being thoroughly scrutinized.

 Moral, ethical, and legal arguments aside, whether a seemingly harmless embellishment or blatant spun fiction, the risks of resume deception could result in: immediate candidate disqualification, offer withdrawal, or dismissal. If dismissed, an employer has the right to inform future reference checks that an employee was fired for deception. Penalties can be harsh and long lasting. Dave Edmondson, CEO of RadioShack resigned in 2006 when media reports surfaced that his degrees in theology and psychology from Pacific Coast Baptist University were non existent.

 When I occasionally hear the question… #!#…? The answer is “No”, “Absolutely Not”, “Don’t succumb to desperation or tricks”. Proven techniques exist to discover and present one’s career and accomplishments in the best light.

Some introductions read like: “Hi, I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself. I live in Tampa and was downsized from my most recent position in January, 2009. Perhaps you might come across a company that is looking for someone with my experience. Please follow the attached link to my Linkedin profile or Yahoo based resume.”

Introductions are a strategic component to every job search. Although brief, they should include relevant highlights, background, and the reason for reaching out to make a connection. Lazy link roadmaps don’t cut it. Effort and personalization are required to overcome an equally invested “Delete Mail” response.

Careerbuilder resume critique baffles blogger

Fri, May 22, 2009 (Article)

Amber Shah, an experienced software developer and popular career blogger on Geniusopia, recently discovered that CareerBuilder was offering free resume critiques to promote their resume writing service. Since Shah often performs critiques on her subscribers’ resumes, she thought she’d submit her own resume to see if the advice CareerBuilder doled out would be similar.

On her blog Shah says she knew that CareerBuilder would give her some kind of sales pitch, but she wasn’t expecting the canned response she received that assured her no one at CB had even glanced at her resume. Here’s what the ‘resume expert’ told her:

Dear Amber Shah,

A well written, attention grabbing resume is crucial to getting an interview. It is important to be concise, highlight your qualifications, and present yourself as a proactive employee. Recruiters will only briefly skim your resume to determine if you are worthy of an interview. Therefore, it must be easy for recruiters to find the information that sells them on you. In order to more effectively showcase your skills and abilities, we recommend making the improvements that we list below. If you need help making these improvements, the experts from cbResume are here.

* Include a quick synopsis of what you have to offer
* When an employer glances at your resume, what will they see? A brief summary of who you are and what you have to offer? If not, you might get passed over. We recommend that you grab the hiring managers attention with a brief overview of your most impressive and relevant strengths.

After you re-write your resume, don’t forget to check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation before using it to apply for a position. More often than not, people overlook their own spelling and grammatical errors. We recommend having several trusted friends and colleagues review your resume to verify that it is easy to understand and free of inconsistencies and minor mistakes. If you would like help re-writing your resume, just let us know.

Keep in mind that your resume is a marketing tool. You must display only the most pertinent and impressive pieces of your experience. cbResume, CareerBuilder.com’s professional resume writing team, can prepare your resume to make a positive first impression. We are experts in the field and know how to craft a resume that will get you interviews.

Sincerely,

cbResume

The improvements recommended were already in plain sight on her resume. Disappointed, Shah concludes this: if you offer to do something, do it right. Otherwise it’s just annoying. Some people will help you in your job search and others only want to take your money. Avoid the latter.

What job seekers will do to get noticed

Wed, Jun 10, 2009 (Article)

According to a new survey from CareerBuilder, nearly one-in-five hiring managers (18 percent) reported that they are seeing more job seekers try unusual tactics to capture their attention in 2009 compared to last year. This is up from 12 percent of hiring managers who said the same in 2008 as compared to previous years.

Some of the most memorable tactics identified by hiring managers include:

• Candidate sent a shoe with a resume to “get my foot in the door.”
• Candidate staged a sit-in in the lobby to get a meeting with a director.
• Candidate washed cars in the parking lot.
• Candidate sent a resume wrapped as a present and said his skills were a “gift to the company.”
• Candidate handed out resumes at stoplights.
• Candidate sent a cake designed as a business card with the candidate’s picture.
• Candidate went to the same barber as the Chairman of the Board and had the barber speak on his behalf.
• Candidate handed out personalized coffee cups.
• Candidate came dressed in a bunny suit because it was near Easter.
• Candidate told the receptionist he had an interview with the manager. When he met the manager, he confessed that he was driving by and decided to stop in on a chance.

Many Hiring Managers are swamped with the business of doing business. In the heat of battle, it may seem easier to backfill an open position from the employee pool rather than expend the resources to recruit the perfect candidate. Sourcing candidates, qualifying resumes, and conducting interviews is more than a full time job. When it’s all said and done, top candidates don’t necessarily turn out to be the best employees. After evaluating position requirements, cost, and the risk associated with the hiring process, many companies rely on third party recruiters to help make better hiring decisions.

Hiring a recruiter may appear expensive.  Typical fees ranges anywhere from 20% to 35% of a candidate’s first year salary. But if you quantify your company’s actual recruiting cost, add in the production losses from the open position coupled in with your company’s recruiting diversion cost from core business activities, you might be surprised by the best value.

Once you have compared the cost, evaluate the hiring process risk. A recruiter is a fixed cost with a performance guarantee that can be managed. A good recruiter usually fills open positions faster. Compare your company’s internal hiring track record in terms of employee bottom line quality, offer rejections, percentage that have been eventually fired, and how many have left in a short time, (replacement cost).

One final consideration in using recruiting services is the type of candidate required. Specialized skills and high level positions are typically best serviced by industry recruiters. Good recruiters have ready access to people your company can not legally or ethically contact. Recruiters are expected to disseminate information concerning new industry opportunities.

Recession, recovery, or growth markets alike, competition is and will continue to be fierce for the “best of the best” performers across all industries. A strong recruiting partner can help you plan for diverse economies, attract the best talent, hire the best fit, and build long term loyalty within your organization.