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CVs – getting the right balance between self-promotion and honesty

17 April 2015

(From ec.europa.eu)

Did you hear about the man travelling to a job interview on the tube, who swore at a fellow passenger getting out of the carriage? He got to his interview only to find that the man he had been rude to was sitting opposite him, as his interviewer. He didn't get the job.

read the story here.


You can

read the story here.

 What not to do before and during an interview can be obvious, and lying on your CV would be at the top of the list. But according to UK fraud prevention group , 63% of all confirmed employment frauds concerned people lying on their CV.

BackgroundChecks.org


BackgroundChecks.org

 publish the statistics of CV ‘manipulation' in the form of an showing that the most common lies relate to competence and skills (57%), then areas of previous responsibility (55%) followed by dates of employment (42%). The study found men were twice as likely to lie as women.

Financial services, IT, leisure and hospitality, health care and retail were the top sectors most likely to catch liars out. 51% of interviewers said they would reject a lying candidate, 40% said it would depend on the lie and 7% said it would make no difference if they liked the candidate.

EURES Hospitality and Tourism skills

There are moves to make things more transparent through digital certificates for qualifications awarded. For instance in the New

EURES Hospitality and Tourism skills

 passport, employers who appreciate the work done by their employees can help them increase their chances on the job market by endorsing the skills their employees obtained working for them.

CV fraud is illegal in some countries and at best, being caught in a lie can be extremely embarrassing. So don't risk it. If you are hired, eventually the gap between what you said you could do and really wanted, and what you actually can and want to do will be obvious. Most recruiters would recognise that passion and a desire to learn your way into a position are good qualities.

If you don't have the exact skills an employer is looking for but still think you could be a good fit, show you are willing to learn and give some examples of previous problem solving. ‘Recruiters are more open to people with transferable skills these days, meaning you don't have to necessarily have direct experience in a field to be employed,' says career coach . Let your credentials speak for themselves and make it clear you're willing to learn if necessary, he adds.

 

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