I came across a very interesting article the other day addressed the increasingly level of resume fraud and deception among jobseekers as the economic situation grows worse and the job market grows intensely fierce in competition.
While it may be tempting to simply add a degree that you don't have or re-create your career history to fill the gap in your experience, your actions always come back to haunt you.
I live by a personal philosophy that suggests that one lie only starts a long series of lies to cover the previous lies. I personally knew someone who lied on her application to get a job and spent the next few years in fear of being discovered until one day, she was fired.
Employers are smart and they are doing their homework and due diligence just like you.
"At the executive level, vetting is generally more thorough, and has gotten stricter with the increase in regulatory scrutiny during the past several years, experts say." (According to article)
-- If you lack the required education for a position, emphasize your value to the company through your achievements and be sure to highlight quantifiables like revenue growth, cost reduction, market share, process improvement, and employee retention.
-- If you have employment gaps, simply use a one-line sentence to address the time off and reserve valuable real estate on your resume for position responsibilities and achievements.
-- If you don't have direct experience required for the position, pay close attention to your volunteer and community activities and see if there is opportunity to show experience through those leadership roles. Volunteer work is still valuable experience - often you can pull leadership capabilities, project management, staff/volunteer supervision, and budget administration.
Read more about the red flags employers are looking for in resumes and make sure that you are doing everything in your executive resume to avoid them.
Please note that while the article suggests using the month/year format (3/2000 - 9/2007) for your resume, I personally recommend using the year only format (2000 - 2007), but be prepared to give specific dates on an interview or when meeting with an executive recruiter.
Abby Locke
Executive Career Strategist
www.premierwriting.com
www.financeexecutiveresumes.com
www.premieroutplacement.com
