{"id":612,"date":"2017-10-08T09:04:38","date_gmt":"2017-10-08T01:04:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/2017\/10\/08\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/"},"modified":"2025-01-05T15:13:03","modified_gmt":"2025-01-05T07:13:03","slug":"how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/","title":{"rendered":"How Lying On Your Resume Will Get You In Trouble"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p>Today&#8217;s job <a target=\"_blank\" class=\"inside_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/tag\/market\/\" title=\"View all posts in market\" >market<\/a> is competitive. Those who are in need of work undoubtedly know how difficult it can be to compete for the top <a target=\"_blank\" class=\"inside_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/tag\/jobs\/\" title=\"View all posts in jobs\" >jobs<\/a>. This competitive environment has led some unscrupulous job seekers to embellish or exaggerate their experience in order<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Today&#8217;s job market is competitive. Those who are in need of work undoubtedly know how difficult it can be to compete for the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/jobs\"> top jobs.<\/a> This competitive environment has led some unscrupulous job seekers to embellish or exaggerate their experience in order to improve their chances of obtaining jobs. What are the consequences for the employee who has <a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/dictionary\/english\/embellished\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">embellished<\/a> on his or her resume if he or she gets caught?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FqHiaLaZCEp5ZoVT9rFSJqLJSwBC?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"CareerShift.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"708.421052631579\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Photo_CareerShift\" title=\"Photo: CareerShift\">Photo: CareerShift<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#What_Constitutes_a_Lie\" title=\"What Constitutes a Lie\">What Constitutes a Lie<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Photo_Internet\" title=\"Photo: Internet\">Photo: Internet<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Lies_to_Cover_Lies\" title=\"Lies to Cover Lies\">Lies to Cover Lies<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Photo_Surfrattsurfer\" title=\"Photo: Surfrattsurfer\">Photo: Surfrattsurfer<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Inability_To_Complete_Job_Duties\" title=\"Inability To Complete Job Duties\">Inability To Complete Job Duties<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Internet_Slideplayer\" title=\"Internet: Slideplayer\">Internet: Slideplayer<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Goodbye_Job\" title=\"Goodbye Job\">Goodbye Job<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Photo_Internet-2\" title=\"Photo: Internet\">Photo: Internet<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Damage_to_Your_Reputation\" title=\"Damage to Your Reputation\">Damage to Your Reputation<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Photo_Pinterest\" title=\"Photo: Pinterest\">Photo: Pinterest<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Possible_Legal_Action\" title=\"Possible Legal Action\">Possible Legal Action<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Photo_PayltMonthly\" title=\"Photo: PayltMonthly\">Photo: PayltMonthly<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#The_Bottom_Line\" title=\"The Bottom Line\">The Bottom Line<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Photo_Internet-3\" title=\"Photo: Internet\">Photo: Internet<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble\/#Photo_Linkedin\" title=\"Photo: Linkedin\">Photo: Linkedin<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_CareerShift\"><\/span>Photo: CareerShift<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Constitutes_a_Lie\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #e33737;\">What Constitutes a Lie<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">A lie doesn&#8217;t necessarily have to be an outright false statement. Omissions can be just as dishonest as an out-and-out lie. It&#8217;s suggested that the education section of the resume is where embellishments are most frequent. This often comes in the form of an individual claiming that he or she has completed an educational program that he or she may have only started. Embellished titles, exaggerated job duties, altered dates of employment and even false references are also common.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/Fhw2Q0cFgA-AdZaLSh68bmmoRUCy?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"Internet2.png\" width=\"800\" height=\"423.2258064516129\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_Internet\"><\/span>Photo: Internet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Job seekers have also provided fictitious information during the recruitment process, such as reasons for leaving previous positions. Though it may be tempting to assume that only a small amount of the population would be guilty of this sort of unscrupulous behavior, some studies have suggested that up to 50% of the population has at least a small amount of misleading or inflated content in their resumes.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lies_to_Cover_Lies\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #e33737;\">Lies to Cover Lies<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>As almost everyone learns at some point, lies can get out of hand quickly. You have to create more lies to cover the initial lie. Just think of how one lie on a resume can balloon in the workplace as coworkers ask questions about your background and you have to perpetuate the false information.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/Fq3D1jekbHwJVKb2fcNGWLYxt0cn?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"surfrattsurfer.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"606.3157894736842\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_Surfrattsurfer\"><\/span>Photo: Surfrattsurfer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Inability_To_Complete_Job_Duties\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #e33737;\">Inability To Complete Job Duties<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If someone were to make a false statement on his or her resume regarding his or her job duties or skills in past positions, there is a chance he or she would have difficulty in meeting the expectations set out in the new position. As suspicions arise from the inability to complete job duties, employers have been known to seek out more information and dig deeper into their employees&#8217; job histories. Even if this information was not discovered in the initial employment references, this doesn&#8217;t mean that employers won&#8217;t seek out more information at a later date, especially if an employer feels that its employee is not meeting expectations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/Fu_EPPrS8JYFM5odGuBv7DJSy2td?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"Slideplayer.png\" width=\"800\" height=\"555.5950266429841\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Internet_Slideplayer\"><\/span>Internet: Slideplayer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Goodbye_Job\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #e33737;\">Goodbye Job<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Once an employee has been found to have lied on his or her resume, the employer has the right to terminate the employment contract. The employee\/employer relationship is one that&#8217;s built upon trust. Finding out that the job was granted based on fictitious information causes this trust to be breached. It may seem like a little white lie when someone covers up the reason he or she left a previous job, or says he or she graduated from college even though he or she left a semester shy of graduating. From an employer&#8217;s point of view, however, this lie is seen as a serious character flaw. If an employee lied about something small, what else is he or she willing to lie about?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FlU8EXYbJN6sLUi9ZsGmsnCo4DIg?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"Internet11.png\" width=\"800\" height=\"401.48698884758363\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_Internet-2\"><\/span>Photo: Internet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Damage_to_Your_Reputation\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #e33737;\">Damage to Your Reputation<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You can pretty much kiss your employment references goodbye if you&#8217;re found to have provided false information on your resume. Even if your employer doesn&#8217;t terminate the employment relationship for the fraudulent information, you&#8217;ll still have to suffer the embarrassment of having your employer know you lied. Additionally, our digital-age lives make it easier and easier for us to network with other professionals in similar industries. In fields that are small or specialized, word can <a target=\"_blank\" class=\"inside_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/tag\/travel\/\" title=\"View all posts in travel\">travel<\/a> pretty quickly. If someone lost a job due to dishonesty, there&#8217;s a good chance the word will get out. Some recruiters have even been known to flag candidates who have been found to have fraudulent information on their resumes. A simple lie could have career-long consequences.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FjSeT9i_637jdF_9Z3hRY0s8jqIn?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"Pinterest.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"837.3333333333334\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_Pinterest\"><\/span>Photo: Pinterest<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Possible_Legal_Action\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #e33737;\">Possible Legal Action<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Generally speaking, employees who have lied on their resumes have no legal recourse against their former employers. This can also impact a former employee&#8217;s ability to seek legal recourse for an employer&#8217;s actions which may have been legitimately illegal. This is known as the &#8220;after-acquired evidence&#8221; theory. If the employment relationship was found to be based upon fraudulent information to start with, illegal acts which occurred during the employment relationship may not be actionable by law. It&#8217;s sad to think that employees could lose what limited rights they do have in employment relationships as a result of unethical decisions made during recruitment.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FtUEkQp-RcLZLGyOZ0wtFH5V6riG?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"PayltMonthly.png\" width=\"800\" height=\"538.9473684210526\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_PayltMonthly\"><\/span>Photo: PayltMonthly<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Bottom_Line\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #e33737;\">The Bottom Line<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Given the relative ease of digging up the truth, and the unpleasant potential outcomes of lying to a new employer, it&#8217;s hard to believe that anyone would risk putting false information in a resume. However, we&#8217;ve all heard the phrase &#8220;desperate times call for desperate measures.&#8221; It&#8217;s true that tough economic times make some people resort to risky behavior. However, this creates an unfair advantage over honest, legitimate candidates who aren&#8217;t lying on their resumes.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FsHqNaKaJ8kgOwIvNBgIbByMpf3y?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"Internet.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"358.94736842105266\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_Internet-3\"><\/span>Photo: Internet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<p>For those who are considering providing false information to a potential employer, consider how much an employer might appreciate the honest approach. There are honest ways to deal with absences from the workplace, incomplete degrees or even dismissals from previous jobs that won&#8217;t hurt your chances of getting a new job.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FmZKbjl3UFX96nmpdyCzs-dZwvED?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"Linkedin.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"458.45272206303724\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_Linkedin\"><\/span>Photo: Linkedin<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FlXXlKXBxtykYAuKbjvAxKMwIbVH?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"GIC.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Today&#8217;s job market is competitive. Those who are in need of work undoubtedly know how difficult it can be to compete for the top jobs. This competitive environment has led &#8230;","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[3643,60,306,3679,29,34,1209,214],"class_list":["post-612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pro-tips","tag-3643","tag-china","tag-hiredchina","tag-how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-you-in-trouble","tag-jobs","tag-jobs-in-china","tag-market","tag-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=612"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25889,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612\/revisions\/25889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}