When presented with a job opportunity – particularly when it is one you really want or need, it can be easy to fall in the trap of doing anything you can to seal the deal, including stretching the truth on your job application.
You can easily justify it too. “Isn’t that the premise of fake it until you make it anyway?” or “if I just got the opportunity to have an interview with them or start working for them, I’ll be able to prove I’m the right fit anyway. I just need a foot in the door…”
But before you are tempted to oversell yourself, have a read of the four risks of stretching the truth on your job application.
Risk #1 – Competency-based interview questions challenge you
If you’re applying for a job that requires specific qualifications, skills or experience, you can expect that a potential employer will ask you competency-based questions to test your knowledge and expertise. If your answers aren’t up to standard, they will soon realise you are not as experienced as you made out.
They will also likely have specific questions for your referees, can you be sure that your past employer or colleague would put their reputation on the line to stretch the truth for you? I wouldn’t bet on it.
Risk #2 – The details you leave out can be revealing
Employers and HR Managers can tell when your resume is ‘light on’, when the examples you give don’t quite hit the mark and when your employment dates aren’t as complete as they should be. It raises suspicion or sparks that gut feel that “something isn’t quite right”.
If your role ended due to restructuring, redundancy or not enough opportunity to progress – be open about it. No employer is going to think every working relationship and role was perfect – you wouldn’t have left if it was. If you don’t have experience in one part of the role, talk about the experience you do have and your willingness to learn and be trained as needed. If you were only in a position a short time because it wasn’t the right fit, tell them and follow it up with why their company is a good fit for you and vice versa.
Risk #3 – You might forget the exaggerations and embellishments you have already told
A lot of times, people think lying is easier, but it’s not. You have to be sharp and have a good memory or else the exaggerations and embellishments you have told can quickly unravel. It doesn’t take much to conflict a previous answer. If you aren’t an honest candidate, how can an employer trust that you’re an honest employee?
Risk #4 – You are assumed to be more capable and competent than you are
So, your truth-stretching got you the job. But now the expectations are far higher than you can deliver. This can lead to problems like tighter timeframes, less training and on the job assistance and unrealistic beliefs around the difference you can make to the company. While overselling your skills can get you the job, it makes it challenging to keep the job. It can also damage your reputation in the industry – people talk.
As life teaches us so well, the truth always comes out, one way or another. Is stretching the truth on your job application worth the risk?
From experience, stretching the truth comes from a place of desperation, a lack of confidence in your ability or uncertainty in the best way to sell yourself as a candidate. When you work with My Career My Move, we help you to not only present the best version of your application but also equip you with the tools and resources to perform even better at interview and beyond.
Get in touch with us today on 1300 27 83 45, to find out how you can be a standout candidate for all of the right reasons.
