Survey Says Canadians Still Lie About Education on Their Resume

OfficeTeam advises employers to watch out for vague wording on resumes.

Check references! It seems a large amount of Canadians are still lying about where they went to college or university (or degrees and diplomas earned) on their resumes.

According to recent research from a firm called OfficeTeam, 47 per cent of managers polled believe that applicants put fibbed or exaggerated information on their resumes. According to those surveyed, when people lie on a resume, 41 per cent of the time it’s about their education.

“Unfortunately, employers can’t always take everything on a resume at face value,” said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam.

“That’s why it’s so important to get to know a prospective hire by probing for specifics during the interview, conducting thorough reference checks and testing skills where appropriate.”

The same data showed that the most popular lie is exaggerating job duties, at 72%.

OfficeTeam advises employers to watch out for vague wording on resumes. An applicant who describes their skills with terms like “familiar with” or “involved in” might be trying to cover up a lack of concrete experience.

At the same time, job seekers should avoid using words like that, or run the risk of being viewed as someone with something to hide.