When it comes to resumes, telling small lies is very common. In fact, a new survey from online career resource platform Resume Genius found that 48% of job seekers have lied or considered lying on their resume.
In the 2024 Lying on Resumes Report, based on an actual survey of 1,000 managers, 29% of those surveyed admitted to lying on their resume. While 14% admitted to telling outright lies, 15% said they told small lies or made slight exaggerations.
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“Our findings show that resume dishonesty is a common temptation, especially when job seekers feel pressured to appear more qualified or hide job vacancies,” said Geoffrey Scott, senior hiring manager at Resume Genius.
The two most common lies are closing the job gap (31%) and exaggerating the length of time employed (30%). Meanwhile, lying about tech (24%) and language skills (22%) were also common.
Some very dishonest people are allowed to form companies and positions.
Men were 1.5 times more likely to lie than women—often due to job titles—and across generations, Gen Z were the biggest liars in this group. 56% admitted to having lied or considered lying on a resume, followed by Millennials (50%), Gen X (40%), and Boomers (37%).
Eva Chan, lead expert at Resume Genius, says that with today’s automated systems, job seekers may feel like they have to lie to get ahead, but it’s not a smart move.
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“Although the pressure to please employers can be overwhelming, lying on your CV is not the answer,” said Chan. “There’s always the possibility that you’ll get caught, and the long-term consequences, such as a damaged reputation or lost jobs, aren’t worth the risk.”
Chan suggests focusing on your strengths and “demonstrating that you continue to be highly skilled” to stand out to employers.
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