When it comes to resumes, telling a little lie is all too common. In fact, a new survey from the online career resource platform Resume Genius found that 48% of job seekers have either lied or considered lying on their CV.
IN 2024 Lying on Resumes Reportbased on one original survey of 1,000 managers29% of respondents admitted that they lie on their CV. While 14% admitted to outright lying, 15% said they had told small lies or made small exaggerations.
“Our findings show that resume dishonesty is a common temptation, especially when job seekers feel pressured to appear more qualified or to hide career gaps,” it says. Geoffrey Scottsenior hiring manager at Resume Genius.
The two most common lies were to cover a career gap (31%) and to exaggerate the length of time at a job (30%). Meanwhile, lying about technology (24%) and language skills (22%) were also common.
Some of the most dishonest admitted to creating entire companies and positions.
Men were 1.5 times more likely than women to lie – usually about job titles – and of the generations, Gen Z were the biggest liars of the bunch. 56% admitted to having or considered lying on a resume, followed by Millennials (50%), Gen X (40%) and Boomers (37%).
Eva Chanchief career expert at Resume Genius, says that with today's automated systems, job seekers may feel like they have to lie to get ahead, but it's not a smart move.
Related: ChatGPT is writing a lot of job applications, but companies are catching on quickly. Here's how.
“While this pressure to impress employers can be intense, lying on your resume is never the answer,” Chan said. “It's always possible to get caught, and the long-term consequences, such as a damaged reputation or lost job opportunities, are not worth the risk.”
Chan suggests focusing on your strengths and “showing you're continuing to improve skills” to stand out to employers.