RSSThe Resume Inflation Index
I was challenged by a friend recently about my statement, “Resumes are creative fiction.” After apologizing for impugning his integrity, I proceeded to craft a more comprehensive statement defending my reasoning.
While we know of the some high profile examples (think of Notre Dame and MIT), the reality is that such resume inflation is pervasive. Various studies have shown around 50% of resumes are exaggerated to some extent. Many people fabricate elements of their resumes unwittingly through mental exercises and gyrations that help justify said exaggerations. And then there are the rare few that do so with impunity.
Why? It is because we have created an arms race to outmaneuver the competition in the job hunt. Often, job seekers are encouraged in these exercises by recruiters, resume writers, friends and even employers themselves all in the name of putting themselves “in the best possible light.” This means modifying the resume to better match the job description, adding more impressive distinctions, or simply attempting to stand out from the crowd. As the job market is the tightest it has been in decades, this has only further enticed job seekers to consider resume inflation techniques.
Of course, resume inflation sets the stage for further justifications later on, till it is hard to keep straight what is reality and what is fiction. Therefore, when a hiring manager is trying to decide who to hire, without more rigorous (and time-consuming) fact-checking, decisions tend be based on documents that do not reflect the actual accomplishments and capabilities of the people as represented. While this could work out alright, it leaves a significant question mark about the validity of the hiring process. It also exposes the company to significant risk, including reputational risk, especially if a person is hired for a highly visible or critical position (see examples from above).
There are a lot of thoughts on what is the best way to handle the resume inflation problem, but before moving on that, we also need to examine the other side of the resume equation: the job description. More on that next time.
I want to quote your post in my blog. May I?
And do you have an account on Twitter?
I also think that this is a result of many people relying on educational accomplishment as a proxy for business accomplishment. I never finished my under grad, after attending 6 different schools and cobbling together 90+ credits. I stopped because my income broke the 6 figure barrier, and in my day to day work, frankly, it was irrelevant. Also, the skyrocketing costs of education kept me from continuing as I was providing for my young family at the time.
Strangely, this has come to bite me in the ass later in life, as an undergrad degree has become a social symbol of belonging to a certain ‘class’ of person rather than any kind of distinctive achievement. I run my own business now, so its irrelevant, but I understand why many folks are tempted to lie about this issue when it seems to have little impact on job performance in my admittedly subjective experience.
I only succumbed to this temptation once, and before accepting the job, I corrected it and still got the job, btw. When the company de-emphazized financial services and eliminated my director level job 5 months after hiring me, I don’t think a degree would have made any difference at all, lol.
My point? Hiring managers should consider whether their ‘buyers market’ hiring criteria (no short job stints, presence of a graduate degree, and an unblemished record of continuous success throughout an entire career) are the right criteria for forecasting success in a job.
In my experience, relevant skills and experience are the criteria most helpful, with the overall career arc making sense helping me to get a good sense of a persons softer qualities. Of course, their education factors into my hiring decisions but in most circumstances I haven’t witnessed, for example, ivy league graduates outperforming others in the environments I worked in. In fact, in technology sales, most ivy MBA types that I’ve worked with were miserable failures. I’ve actually come to the conclusion that many people pursue MBA’s as a way of advancing their careers in the absence of other, real accomplishment (in sales in particular).
My two cents, for what it’s worth.
@Glenn Great comments! It is funny you should mention MBA’s and sales as many job descriptions include having an MBA as a requirement. While in some respects it could be helpful, it is not certain that it is warranted if hiring managers truly understood the skills necessary to be successful in that particular role.