Resume Padding

Although one can make an innocent typo or mistake when compiling a resume that doesn’t get caught in proofreading, intentionally misrepresenting credentials can get you into serious trouble. Resume padding has been in the news again lately as Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson was recently fired for claiming to have both a computer science and an accounting degree. When people throughout an organization have put their trust in someone who has lied to them, directly or indirectly, it becomes an issue of confidence and credibility.  According to a recent blog Resume Padding: What’s the Problem?, “The judgment and ethics of the individual who has perpetrated the lie are called into serious question, spurring concerns about the reliability and trustworthiness of that individual in other areas of his/her work and life. If an individual can justify lying about something on the resume to get a job, who’s to say he or she wouldn’t decide that other lies are equally justified down the road somewhere? Where does the line get drawn?” 

 Most Human Resource departments have stories of situations where they have to let an employee go due to misrepresentations on their resume or application. As GCDFs, let's educate our clients on the importance of accurate and truthful application materials.