What To Do When You Have Lied on Your Resume

In 2026, your resume remains a crucial document that can significantly influence your chances of securing a job. However, the pressure to stand out can lead some candidates to make the poor decision of embellishing their resumes. While candidates may believe that minor exaggerations will enhance their competitiveness, such dishonesty can jeopardize their long-term career prospects, even if they initially succeed in getting hired.

Key Takeaways:

• A lie on your resume can be classified as either an active lie of commission or a lie of omission.

• If you’ve submitted a resume with false information, your options include revising and resending it, reaching out to the employer with the truth, doing nothing, or accepting the situation and moving on.

• Common resume lies include exaggerated skills, embellished roles and titles, altered employment timelines, and misrepresented education.

What Is Considered a Lie on Your Resume?

A lie on your resume can be:

• An active lie of commission, where you knowingly provide false information.

  An example of an active lie is claiming that you have five years of experience at a company where you’ve never worked.

• A lie by omission, where you strategically leave out specific information or present half-truths to enhance your resume’s appeal to a hiring manager.

  An example of an omission would be inflating your title for a position you actually held.

Lies of omission are more prevalent among applicants than those of commission, as they are often perceived as less blatant. Nevertheless, omissions are just as damaging to your resume as outright lies.

If a hiring manager identifies a lie on your resume, regardless of its severity, you are unlikely to receive an invitation for an interview.

What to Do if You’ve Submitted a Resume That’s Not True

If you’ve already submitted a resume with exaggerated or false information, you may be feeling anxious about the consequences. This situation can be stressful, especially if you’re keen on the position. However, you have several options:

1. Revise and resend your resume. While the reaction of a hiring manager to your new submission is unpredictable, it’s often the best course to address the situation. You don’t need to explicitly confess to any lies, but it’s better than waiting for the truth to come out.

2. Reach out and tell the truth. Admitting to a hiring manager that your resume contained falsehoods can be daunting. This approach is straightforward but risky, likely costing you the job offer. Yet, you may be surprised by their appreciation for your honesty and willingness to give you another chance.

3. Don’t do anything and hope for the best. This is the least advisable option. You can choose to ignore the issue and hope that the employer remains unaware of your inaccuracies. However, this approach can lead to serious repercussions, whether you get hired or not.

4. Accept it and move on. The final option is to withdraw your application, rectify your resume, and pursue new opportunities. While it’s disappointing to abandon a desired position, taking corrective action is often wiser than attempting to salvage a misleading application.

   Learn from this experience and revise your resume to eliminate any falsehoods or exaggerations.

Most Common Resume Lies

Despite the clear risks, lying on resumes remains common in the job market. Many applicants may not even realize that certain statements they make are considered dishonest. Here are some of the most frequent resume deceptions:

1. Exaggerated skills. Most job postings outline specific skills required for the role, leading some applicants to stretch the truth about their abilities to meet these criteria.

   Why it won’t work.

   Experienced hiring managers can usually discern between genuine and inflated skills. Even if you manage to impress with your resume and secure an interview, any discrepancies will quickly become apparent on your first day of work.

   Instead of exaggerating your abilities, consider using a cover letter to showcase your strengths and explain any gaps in your hard and soft skills.

2. Embellishing responsibilities in a former role. Many candidates inflate their job responsibilities to appear more qualified. This can range from minor additions to claiming roles they never held.

   Why It won’t work.

   Such embellishments are often uncovered before the interview stage, as potential employers frequently verify references. If your previous employer contradicts your claims, your application will likely be discarded.

3. The timeline of employment. Applicants often worry that gaps in their employment history will be perceived negatively and may alter their employment dates to obscure these gaps.

   Why it won’t work.

   Recruiters can easily verify employment dates, making this a risky lie. While it may seem less harmful than others, any misinformation can raise red flags for hiring managers.

4. Job title. Some candidates misrepresent their job titles to meet the requirements of specific positions.

   Why it won’t work.

   Recruiters typically investigate previous job titles early in the hiring process. If they find discrepancies, your application will likely be discarded.

5. Education. While obtaining a degree is a challenging and costly process, some applicants falsely claim degrees to enhance their qualifications. This can also include overstating incomplete education as completed degrees.

   Why it won’t work.

   Verifying educational credentials is straightforward, and employers often conduct these checks. Even if not all applications are scrutinized, any dishonesty in this area will likely lead to disqualification.

What Can Happen if You Lie on Your Resume

While misrepresenting information on your resume isn’t illegal, it can have consequences as severe as criminal behavior regarding your career.

Consider the following potential ramifications of lying on your resume:

1. Not getting a job. One obvious consequence is being disqualified from job opportunities when employers discover dishonesty. Often, they won’t inform you of their decision; instead, you may simply not hear back. If you’re struggling in your job search, lies on your resume could be the reason.

2. Losing your job. If an employer uncovers that you lied on your resume after hiring, you risk termination. This not only affects your current job status but also eliminates the possibility of using that employer as a reference.

3. Harming your professional reputation. Your reputation is crucial in most industries. If colleagues discover that you’ve lied on your resume, it can severely damage your credibility and future job prospects.

4. Possible legal action. In certain circumstances, if your dishonesty leads to adverse outcomes, you could face legal repercussions from your employer.

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

Expert

Don Pippin, MHRM, CPRW, CDCS

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.