Video: Resume fraud

In America, more than 9 percent of the population is out of work. In Alabama, it’s nearly 10 percent.

As the wave of company layoffs continue to sweep across the nation, more and more people are finding themselves in the unemployment line, both figuratively and literally.

Brian Cauble is one of them. He’s been out of work for four months… and finds the old adage that the hardest job is finding a job to be completely true.

“It’s a lot of work,“ Cauble said. “You really have to hit the ground a lot, network a lot, get out and talk to people at various functions around town.“

And one thing Cauble has to do is make himself stand out in the crowd.

“Your resume is a marketing document. So you’re definitely trying to put your best foot forward. You tailor it to the job or the kind of jobs you’re trying to get.“

But people are doing more than tailoring these days… they’re flat-out lying on their resumes.

I typed the words “resume fraud” in Google and found some interesting stats. In fact, according to one report, a 2001 study of nearly 7,000 resumes found that about a quarter of them had at least one instance of misrepresented credentials.

Also, a Congressional study a few years ago found that 1/3 of all job applicants fake their resumes or had at least one inaccurate statement.

Tiffany Palladino with Precision Resources, an IT consulting and recruiting firm headquartered here in Alabama, says resume fraud was a problem before… but with the increase in unemployment, it’s even worse.

“I think people are for lack of a better word, more desperate to find employment, so they do wanna stand out. So they know if they kind of up their skill sets a little and maybe lie a little bit it’ll help,“  Palladino said.

So what’s the most common lie people tell on resumes?

In 2003, according to a report we found, the Society of Human Resource managers estimated that 23 percent of the 2.6 million people surveyed fabricated credentials, 41 percent lied about their education, and 44 percent lied about their work experience.

When it came to lying about work experience, the number one thing people typically fabricated is their salaries. Right after that is their job title, then their amount of experience.

Sheila Benson knows all too well about resume fraud. She’s the CEO of Employment Screening Services—they investigate potential employees for companies. She says, she’s seen all types of tactics to stretch the truth.

“They may be working for a temp company and saying they actually work for a specific company rather than the temp company,“ Benson said.

And beyond the outright lies, gaps in work history—a lie of omission, if you will—are big too.

Example, an applicant will say they’ve been with an employer five years, when in fact they only worked there for two. The missing three years may cover up a criminal conviction or a job where the applicant got fired.

Benson said many companies hire her to do only criminal background checks—and not work history checks.

“I think that’s a true mistake,“ Benson said. “I think it’s extremely important to check those especially past references and past educational.“

You can’t argue, we all wanna make ourselves more marketable.. and there is a way to do that without crossing the line.

“Focusing more on your accomplishments,“ Palladino said, “and really I guess energizing your description of what you do instead of being vague about your job, really putting some power into it.“

Here are some other resume boosting tips:

- portray achievements: don’t just describe your job responsibilities.
- give references.
- tell what’s unique about you.
- personal branding: if you have blog, twitter profile, you can always mention them on your resume. 
- dump the objective: instead start your resume with how your skills can add value to the organization that recruits you.
- portray to employers how you approach your work. 
- and describe your personality.

And that’s what Cauble is doing as he works to find work.

“I try to show that in a resume and cover letter, what makes me stand out,“ Cauble said.

When it comes to lying about education, that’s a biggie. According to the FBI, about half a million people in the United States lie about having college degrees.

In fact, online “diploma mills” sell them for as little $425 for a bachelor’s degree and $550 for a master’s degree.

The association of certified fraud examiners estimates that occupational fraud and abuse costs organizations about $600 billion every year.