It’s well known that many people embellish their backgrounds on their resumes. And it’s easy to see what the motivation behind it is – people need jobs. However, overstating your experience, skills and/or education on your resume can lead to disaster. Firstly, you are only setting yourself up for failure. If you get a job by stating you know how to do something, and then can’t perform on the job, you are destined to fail. Secondly, if found out, it can be embarrassing! It could also potentially get you fired.
In a recent article on PCWorld.com, they discuss the recent news that Yahoo’s new CEO, Scott Thompson, “does not hold a degree in “accounting and computer science” as his resume and the company’s financial filings claimed, and instead majored only in accounting.” If it can happen to CEO’s, it can happen to you! Therefore, when writing your resume, keep it to the facts and the facts only!