Embellishing Your Resume

I don't know if many places in Nebraska use a resume or not when screening new job applicants. During my working years, though I had a resume ready to hand out at a moments notice, I never did hand one out. When I got hired on at the phone company, I filled out a job application and was never asked about a resume. I was applying to be a worker bee, not a manager, so perhaps that's the major difference between a job and a career... you have to craft a resume for a career position, and fill out a job application to actually work?

A recent survey of hiring managers found that 57% of the time, applicants lied in their resume or job application, though only 5% of the employment seekers admitted to fudging about the facts of their life. The good news for the embellishers is that though 93% were not considered further, 7% still got hired. I suppose their fib was pretty mild, or the hiring manager had other motives...

If you Google resume embellishment, over 600,000 results are available, with the very first one saying "Embellish your resume without lying". The implication is that it's OK to stretch the truth as long as you don't go over the line... whatever that blurry line may actually be. Wordsmithing is obviously the bomb when it comes to resumes!

How are you doing on your life resume? Not the one about your career accomplishments, but the one where wordsmithing has no value and only your acts and accomplishments are considered. Your resume certainly contains the reputation you develop over a lifetime with family, friends, peers, and God for the believers among us. Why not make a conscious effort to embellish your resume this week by doing something out of the ordinary. Mow your elderly neighbors yard, make a donation to the food pantry, volunteer, try and do something that helps someone, anything.