I thought not lying was easy. Then I got good questions from people who want to tell the truth, but don’t know what it is. So let me help you tell the verifiable truth. Here is how to tell the truth and stay out of trouble in question and answer format.
Q. I was laid off, but given three months of pay after I stopped working, and was allowed to use my office too. When was my last day of work?
A. Call up the HR (Human Resources) Department and ask them when your first and last day of employment was. Use those dates. It doesn’t matter what you think is honest, a misrepresentation, or a lie. The companies who check your resume will be given those same dates by the HR department. Use them.
Q. I was a temp worker at Boeing, working for McGraw Engineering, and paid by Kelly Services. Who should I put down as my employer?
A. The company whose name was on your contract or paycheck was your employer. You might want to put the job on your resume as:
Boeing, reporting to McGraw Engineering, contracted by Kelly Services.
Q. Can I leave out a job?
A. If it doesn’t apply to the job you are trying to get, maybe you can leave it off the resume. A resume is an honest ad, not a confessional. You don’t HAVE to put every job on it. However, it is safer to have one line on your resume where the job or jobs you don’t want to mention should go. Put:
Transportation Jobs 5/1999 – 8/2003
That way you account for the time. You also make it so short it does not force the hiring manager to think about it.
All jobs must be put on the job application, even if they are not on your resume. You can put that same single line about Transportation Jobs, but on the job application every single job must be accounted for.
The only exception is if you have 20 years of jobs, and the first 10 years don’t apply. Then you can truncate, or cut off the oldest jobs.
The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has. (Will Rogers)
Something To Do Today
Sit down and think. Are you leaving something out in your resume to simplify it, or are you lying?
Your resume is not an FBI background check. It is an honest advertisement.
There is no reason to disqualify yourself. There is no excuse for lying.
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Later: The incredible strength of weak connections
How many times do I have to tell them