Over 55% of people admit to lying on their resume at least once—here are the 8 most common lies (2024)

FAQs

Over 55% of people admit to lying on their resume at least once—here are the 8 most common lies? ›

The most common thing people lie about is their salary (32.8%). Others include skills (30.8%), previous work experience (30.5%), college degree (29.6%), job titles (28.4%), experience with software or equipment (27.4%), personal details (26.5%), high school information (26.5%), and employer references (25.4%).

Those with Master's or doctoral degrees reported higher incidences of lying on resumes (58% frequently lie, 27% have lied once or twice = 85% total) compared to people without a college degree (29% frequently lie, 42% have lied once or twice = 71% total), with those with bachelor's or associate degrees lying the least ...

Another survey conducted by Checkster, a reference-checking service based in Novato, Calif., found that among the job candidates they surveyed, a full 78 percent say they had misrepresented themselves to potential employers.

A recent survey showed 72% of people have lied on their resumes. The top fib targets academic attributes: 44% of respondents said they have "stretched the truth" regarding their education. Years of experience, skills, length of a previous position and former job responsibilities followed as the most-common lies.

The most common types of resume lies are: Lies of commission: These involve asserting false claims. Examples are stating that you have a particular degree or skill set that you do not possess. Lies of omission: These include leaving out crucial information that might negatively impact your job prospects.

60% of people lie at least once in a 10-minute conversation. Men lie 6 times a day on average, while women lie 3 times a day on average. 40% of people lie on their resumes. 90% of people lie on their online dating profiles.

Google searches for “fake job references” are also down 19% between 2022 and 2023. While 64.2% have lied on resumes, not everyone is caught. Of those who say they have lied, 81.4% say they have been caught at some point, while 18.6% have never been caught.

A 2023 survey by CareerBuilder found that only 37% of recruiters say that they look for a resume objective. Additionally, a 2022 survey by LinkedIn found that 72% of hiring managers say that they are more likely to hire a candidate who has a well-written summary of their skills and experience.

Only 25% of resumes make it past the ATS and in front of a human recruiter! This means that 75% of resumes don't qualify because of formatting, content, or lack of keywords. (Gitnux) The average time a hiring manager spends looking at a resume is 7 seconds, so your resume needs to make a very quick impression.

Only 3% of resumes will result in an interview. Recruiters spend 6-8 seconds reviewing a resume. Less than 5% of recruiters will spend more than 1 minute review a resume on the first viewing. 75% of resumes are rejected by AI or ATS software and never seen by a human eye.

What percentage of people lie? ›

On a daily occurrence, there are 12% of people 18 and older lie sometimes or quite often. On occasion, 80% of women tell half-truths. On CVs and resumes, 31% of people lie.

People lie on their resumes to supplement a lack of experience and appear more qualified in competitive job markets. Lying on your resume may result in consequences such as termination or legal ramifications. Employers can tell you're lying on a resume by conducting background checks and contacting your references.

As resumes are not official, legal documents, it is not technically illegal to lie on a resume. However, this depends on the extent to which the lie is taken--for example, if an educational diploma, a passport, or other legal documents are falsified, this could result in prosecution for falsifying documents.

In California, lying on a resume can lead to automatic forfeiture of all employment rights. In addition, the employee can also be treated unlawfully by the employer and be unable to hold the employer liable.

The study revealed that a whopping 78% of job applicants lie and 66% of hiring managers say they would likely ignore the infraction.

Bending the truth in your resume can be a double-edged sword. It may help you get the job you apply for, while getting caught bending the truth can come back to bite you years later. Depending on the truth you bend, you might cause legal issues for yourself, especially if you are bidding for a project as a contractor.

If you get caught lying on your CV, not only are you likely to lose your job, but you could also damage your reputation with other employers, especially ones in the same industry. You may not have considered this, but lying on your CV could have legal implications.

For starters

Here's some good news: If you get laid off, you may not need to address the layoff on your résumé. If you have a gap from a layoff that is less than six months, you don't need to disclose it on your résumé.

Yes, they do.

According to the survey, 53% of employers always check candidates' educational background.

While the pressure to impress potential employers is intense, exaggerating your skills and accomplishments on your resume is not an acceptable practice. The ethical implications and potential consequences for both job seekers and employers make it a risky endeavor.