Padding Your Resume Not a Good Idea

With the recent hurricane disaster in New Orleans, there were many people who came under scrutiny. One such person was Michael Brown, the head of FEMA. People questioned his credentials and the media began to dig deep into his background. What they found was a man who had padded his credentials.

Here are some of the items they found:

• He claimed to be on the Board of Directors of a Nursing Home. When contacted by the media, the personnel at the nursing had never heard of Brown.
• He claimed to have been an Assistant City Manager of a town in Oklahoma. Brown never held this position. He did do an internship while attending college for this town.
• He stated that he had received an "Outstanding Professor" award for a college where he did not even teach. He was an adjunct professor for a college, but there was never an award and he certainly did not receive one.

My dad used to tell me, "Live as if you will be found - because you will." I have always lived by that mantra. It is dangerous to lie; someone will find out and it can ruin your credibility. Your integrity is all you have in this life.

A recent survey showed that about 75% of people "pad" their resume with credentials and position responsibilities they have never held.

A woman was fired from a government job recently because she claimed to have a PhD.D. When colleagues were perplexed as to how a woman, who had no previous education, could suddenly have three degrees in a two-year time frame, they questioned it. What they found out was that she had "paid" for her degrees through an on-line diploma mill.

Due to the onslaught on this type of behavior, many companies have been conducting more thorough background checks. Some companies, such as Chili's Restaurant, have an on-line application where you must detail accomplishments and then "back them up" with a person who can verify that accomplishment.

The best avenue to take is to be honest. If you pad your experience or credentials, you could end up in a position where you will flounder and eventually be fired for your incompetence.