Is It Lying... Or Selective Truth?
By Louise Kursmark
Lying on resumes is a no-no. Everybody seems to agree on that,
even if “everybody” isn’t following that
advice; more than half the hiring managers in a CareerBuilder
survey report that they’ve spotted a lie on an
applicant’s resume.
But “telling the truth” doesn’t mean sharing
every job, every experience, and all the details of one’s
career. As a professional resume writer/career consultant, I get
paid to help candidates select, polish, and present the most
relevant and powerful truths that support their career
goals.
I also spend a lot of time examining what it’s like from
the recruiter’s and employer’s position – awash
in resumes, trying desperately to determine if somewhere on that
paper or in the resume databank are the skills and experience they
are looking for.
For both the candidate and the employer, then, it’s a
plus to leave the nonessentials off the resume.
That said, there’s no getting away from the fact that
scores of job seekers feel uncomfortable about presenting the
“selective” truth. They feel they’re not being
wholly honest and are uneasy about presenting a partial view of
their histories. Of course, this discomfort affects their interview
presentation, as they go in feeling dishonest, defensive, or afraid
they’ll get “caught” having left something off
their resume.
Perhaps the best approach is to educate job seekers on what a
resume is and isn’t, to help you appreciate what I mean by
selective truth.
First, understand what a resume is and, just as importantly,
what it is not.
A resume is not:
· A
biography. The last one I read, The Power Broker,
was 1200 pages and took me months to finish. Employers just
don’t have time or interest in this depth of
information.
· A
career obituary. A resume shouldn’t be a memorial
but rather a promise of what’s to come.
A resume is:
· A
marketing document. It is designed to entice interest and
further inquiry. It’s the advertisement, not the
prospectus.
· A
snapshot of one or a few facets of who you are. You
can’t possibly do justice to the “whole you” in a
couple of pages. Key in on what’s relevant and meaningful for
the job and save the rest of yourself for your other personal and
professional relationships.
· A
message to employers that you know what’s important to
them. They don’t care that you were valedictorian of
your kindergarten class; they do care that you made money, saved
money, increased efficiency, satisfied customers, and so on for
your past employers.
·
Your one good shot at getting attention in a crowded,
competitive market. Thus, it’s essential to give
readers information they care about and make it easy for them to
find what they’re looking for.
Another way to look at this situation is to consider the
resume just the start of a relationship. First impressions and
surface information set the stage – do we have something in
common? – and then further discussions lead to a more
meaningful connection. As Bogie put it, “this is the
beginning of a beautiful friendship.” Don’t try to
force the pace by sharing too much information too soon.
In a competitive job market, being selective helps in
being selected.
