If you have been following the Olympics and the women’s gymnastic competition, you already know that there has been some speculation around the ages of some of the Chinese gymnasts. In light of some new evidence, the IOC is planning an investigation to determine if these athletes are underaged and if they violated the rules of the competition. Unfortunately, lying about qualifications is not uncommon in the world of sports or in the world of corporate America.Many careers have been ruined or at least severely impaired because job seekers have falsified information on their resume.While it can be tempting to embellish accomplishments on a resume, it is a poor career management practice that can damage your personal brand, ruin your credibility, and hurt your chances for future employment. Recruiters and hiring authorities are routinely using the Internet to validate information about candidates and if there are discrepancies between your resume and the information that surfaces through a Google search or another resource, this can certainly influence a hiring decision. Transparency is the cornerstone of a strong career management strategy. The goal of the interview process is to create rapport and trust. This can’t be accomplished if your resume doesn’t portray your story accurately. Make sure that you don’t get taken out of the game too soon. Create a resume with accurate dates of employment, job titles, and educational credentials and position your accomplishments in a meaningful and realistic way. Don’t eliminate graduation dates or parts of your chronology…if a date is missing, a hiring manager is likely to ask you to fill in the blanks. Honesty rules whether it is in sports, a job search, or life.
Lying is a Really Bad Career Management Strategy
