We get it; it’s a tough recruitment market out there for candidates. But there are no short cuts in building a career. You need to do it right, or else you’ll run into trouble. Even if they’re not spotted immediately, half-truths, omissions, and full-blown lies on CVs will all come home to roost.
As a London recruitment agency, we know that employers are increasingly doing more and more to verify the information given to them by applicants before hiring them. Once upon a time, we rarely had to ask for degree certificates, now it’s the norm. What’s more, most CVs now go through experienced HR or recruitment professionals who can spot lies and omissions a mile off.
The truth for office support jobs in London
There are likely to be multiple competing applicants for any one role. However, employers are increasingly taking their time to find candidates who display integrity above all else — even if a position is temporary.
The single biggest thing you can do to maximise your chances of success is to be honest. Paint yourself in a good light, but do so truthfully and by owning the bits you’d rather gloss over.
Keeping things out of your CV
There is of course an enormous temptation to omit things from your CV. In our London recruitment agency, we see this happen in a number of different ways. It’s quite common for people to try and eliminate a whole position from their CV if things ended on bad terms. It’s also common for parents, particularly mothers, to skip over family leave.
The problem is that, whilst your motivation may be good, the CV reader can only make guesses. The chances are that they’ll come to a conclusion that paints you in a worse light than the truth. Instead, it’s perfectly acceptable to briefly put the information in without the same detail that you afford other areas of your CV.
Discrepancies
Although recruiting managers have to glance through dozens of CVs, they’ll spend much longer on the ones they’re interested in. In this more detailed reading, they’ll really hone in on any discrepancies. Therefore, you need to check that your CV is accurate and the information within it is coherent.
Key CV honesty check points
When you’re writing your CV, ask yourself these questions:
- Are all of your dates accurate? Have you said you were in two different places at one time?
- Are your education and qualifications accurately detailed? Double-check your awards and certificates.
- Have you listed something that you studied but never qualified in?
- If you’re still studying for something, is this clear?
- Have you checked your employment dates against your P45s?
- Are there any gaps in employment? Can you explain why?
- Have you been honest about job titles? These will come up on references.
- Have you stated if a role was a fixed-term contract, or otherwise explained any short-term jobs so there’s a true reason for leaving?
Honesty is good
Don’t think that others exaggerate or lie in their CV. Generally speaking, they don’t; they’re usually truthful. Being authentic and upfront will position you as a candidate that can be trusted.
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