Recently I attended a seminar on candidate resume fraud, presented by Sally Mooney from Australian Background, and was surprised by the statistics indicating the number of candidates who falsify their resumes (see below):

• 25-40% of all resumes are falsified
• Almost 1 in 20 candidates have a criminal record, 60% do not admit when asked
• The greatest offenders of resume fraud are Males aged between 21 – 30 years of age
• Most common lies on a resume involve employee history details, job titles and dates, educational qualifications and past salary

Although a resume is not a legal document and prosecutory action cannot be taken, information can be easily confirmed and references checked.

A resume should represent a candidate to a prospective employer in a favourable AND honest manner. It is essentially a sales document that recommends the candidate to the role; emphasising ones positive attributes being its main aim. It would therefore be self-defeating to mention negative factors, so long as they are not relevant to the position. However, depending on the nature of the indiscretion, it may be better to come clean for example background checks will uncover any relevant criminal convictions. Background checks cannot be performed without the consent of the candidate.

Another important consideration are the referees who support your application. Always ensure the use of the following etiquette:

• Do not list the referees on your resume, your permission is required to contact each one, and will be sought by your consultant or employer as required.
• Choose work related referees - people in positions of authority.
• Provide a landline, not a mobile phone number, for your referee, as increasingly mobile phone numbers are not being accepted due to fraudulent acts.
• Ask their permission & whether they can say something positive about you.
• Keep your referees informed about the position you applied for and, if possible, send them a job description.
• Repeat this process with each job application.

There are policies in place under the provision of the Privacy Act to protect you, the candidate, against invasion of your privacy.

Written by Gina Louise Jones B Science (Hons) – Office Manager

                                                                                               Sources: LIAR, LIAR! Resume Fraud.

A seminar presented by Sally Mooney of Australia Background

                                                         Sydney Morning Herald Weekend Edition June 25 – 26, 2005