Former church pastor David Edmondson resigned Monday as president and chief executive of RadioShack after he confessed to claiming two college degrees on his reacute;sumeacute; when in fact he had none. Before you cast stones at Edmondson, though, realize that reacute;sumeacute; inflation is widespread.
Nearly half of all reacute;sumeacute;s contain at least one significant inaccuracy when they describe dates of employment, job titles and education. This is according to a recent study by ResumeDoctor.com, a reacute;sumeacute;-writing service in South Burlington, Vt.
It may seem easy to lie on your reacute;sumeacute; in an age where former employers rarely give character references for fear of labor lawsuits. Yet, dates of employment and job titles are the two pieces of information an old boss usually will provide to prospective employers.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Checking on your academic background only takes a call to the registrar's office of your alma mater to confirm if you really attended and got that degree. Dates of employment, job titles and education "are the three areas you don't want to lie about because it's so easy to verify," says Brad Fredericks, co-founder of ResumeDoctor.com.
It's natural to want to put your best foot forward. Fredericks has seen people extend job tenures on their reacute;sumeacute;s to obscure how long they have actually spent unemployed. Or jobseekers will round up three years of university experience into a college degree. Fredericks recently had to talk a client out of listing a sham degree he earned from a diploma mill on his reacute;sumeacute;. Or some even turn that lowly assistant's job into an executive post. In fact, inflating a job title is the most prevalent form of reacute;sumeacute; fraud, he says.
ResumeDoctor.com gets about 2,000 reacute;sumeacute;s a day. Six months ago, Fredericks randomly picked 1,000 reacute;sumeacute;s to verify their accuracy. He found 42.7% had at least one error and 12.6% contained two or more inaccuracies.
Honesty is the best policy with a Google search at prospective employers' fingertips. "Once it goes out on the Internet, it stays out there for a very long time, and it's tough to change it and undo the damage later on," Fredericks says. His advice: "Stick to the facts. Make sure you are very clear about what you put on your reacute;sumeacute;."
-
Stocks Chop as the Unemployment Rate Jumps: Stock Market TodayNovember job growth was stronger than expected, but sharp losses in October and a rising unemployment rate are worrying market participants.
-
Should You Renew Your CD?With rate cuts impacting earnings, we examine if now is a wise time to renew CDs.
-
7 Ways to Plan Now to Save on Medicare IRMAA Surcharges LaterUnderstand the critical two-year lookback period and why aggressive planning before you enroll in Medicare is the most effective way to minimize IRMAA.
-
Amazon Resale: Where Amazon Prime Returns Become Your Online BargainsFeature Amazon Resale products may have some imperfections, but that often leads to wildly discounted prices.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2026Roth IRAs Roth IRAs allow you to save for retirement with after-tax dollars while you're working, and then withdraw those contributions and earnings tax-free when you retire. Here's a look at 2026 limits and income-based phaseouts.
-
How to Search For Foreclosures Near You: Best Websites for ListingsMaking Your Money Last Searching for a foreclosed home? These top-rated foreclosure websites — including free, paid and government options — can help you find listings near you.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnbreal estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute VacationTravel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
-
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?insurance When assessing how much life insurance you need, take a systematic approach instead of relying on rules of thumb.
-
When Does Amazon Prime Day End in October? Everything We Know, Plus the Best Deals on Samsonite, Samsung and MoreAmazon Prime The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale ends soon. Here are the key details you need to know, plus some of our favorite deals members can shop before it's over.
-
How to Shop for Life Insurance in 3 Easy Stepsinsurance Shopping for life insurance? You may be able to estimate how much you need online, but that's just the start of your search.
