Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've been thinking about this for a while and love this forum so I am going to ask what you all think about this.
Common knowledge today is to tailor your resume to each position you are applying for. Use their position announcement to highlight the skills you have versus what they are looking for, etc.
It is also the age of electronic background checks and employment history verification.
Some will say to leave off irrelevant positions if they do not create a gap on your resume---this is lying through omission.
Some say to include all positions but use years only--lying because months do not match your resume.
I have worked 2 jobs at a time on many occasions but choose to only list one or the other--lying through omission.
What are your thoughts on this? Does your resume match date for date and job for job?
I was denied a job because I left off a job from 10 years ago and the reported dates were incorrect for one job (I went from paid to volunteer). The background report was done through HireRight and I can't obtain a copy of the report they sent. My credit report doesn't even list my correct job or previous address.
I dont see how omitting a job is lying through omission? The point of a resume is not to give your full life story. The point is to outline your qualifications for the job at hand. Your employer doesn't care and doesn't need to know that you worked part time waiting tables or whatever.
I agree with the above. A resume is not a list of every job you have ever held. If you are filling out an application and it states, "List every job you have had for the past X years..." you are more compelled to list everything; with a resume you are not.
If a company wants to hire you, they are not going to exclude you because a 3rd party report doesn't match exactly what you reported. If you are given a chance to explain and it doesn't work, then I would think they are just looking to weed out by an arbitrary indicator. The examples you list are not lies. Lying is saying you worked at NASA and have a Phd, when you worked at Starbucks and have a B.A. On a resume lying is fabrication, not being off a month or two on position dates.
I did apply yesterday online for a company that wanted every single job including temp and part-time, for one's entire life. I've never seen such a form and I'm sure it's also just a weeding routine. Maybe for a gov't job but it was a recruiter. It would have taken me weeks to find dates from early, meaningless jobs, so I went with what I consider to be me now. Which is really what companies should be looking for, unless they are using your data for other reasons.
I dont see how omitting a job is lying through omission? The point of a resume is not to give your full life story. The point is to outline your qualifications for the job at hand. Your employer doesn't care and doesn't need to know that you worked part time waiting tables or whatever.
Exactly. On my CV outlines my qualifications at the few positions I have held in my field for the past 15 years. I do not list working for Dominos, or as a summer day camp counsellor or the other odd jobs I worked back in college to help pay my tuition.
If a company wants to hire you, they are not going to exclude you because a 3rd party report doesn't match exactly what you reported.
This is exactly what I am coming across though. Many companies require a successful background check. This can include criminal, education verification, drug, etc. This is the first time I have had a problem like this. I have a clean record, no drivers license (never have), no credit problems....but, because I didn't list a position on my resume then it was red flagged. I know on applications I have to list what they are asking for--usually last 3 jobs up to 5 years ago. Well I have been a volunteer and a student for the past 7 years so that is easy
Leave off jobs on your resume but include everything on an application. The first is a marketing tool, the second is a legal document.
Because the second is legally binding, many employers require that you submit an application in addition to supplying your resume. Many times you don't have to fill out the application up front, only at the time of interview or may be later. If you leave something off the application, the company can use that as grounds for termination.
It might be possible to use an omitted job from a resume as grounds for termination, but an employer would be on extremely shaky ground to do so, because you aren't required to provide any and all information on your resume. It's your document and you get to do what you want with it.
For any job that requires a thorough background check, you absolutely have to provide everything they ask for--even a job you held for a day.
A resume is YOUR marketing tool. It is supposed to present you as a prospective employee, in the best possible light. As long as what's on your resume is basically true, no worries.
In today's horrid job market, I am always dumbing down my resume to look qualified for lower positions. All you have to do is list all the routine duties like filing and answering the phone. Just don't tell them you were a rocket scientist.
After all, you did answer the phone, right? And you were paid for it. You did file things every now and then. It's your tool. To be used for your benefit.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
