The Ultra Honest Resume

As MetaTech’s Tom Parrish wrote last Friday, a successful resume creates the “illusion of reality” – where the applicant can list their qualifications in a real, living and breathing, story-like manner.

Along that same line, there is another kind of honesty that is just important. While it is common knowledge (or at least it should be) that you should never lie on your resume, some companies fact checking on your resume can trip up even the most upstanding applicants.

Many companies hire outside background checkers to verify resumes and job applications. These companies note every inconsistency and piece of information they can't confirm -- even the difference between starting a job on April 1 and April 5 -- although some problems are treated more seriously than others by employers.

So, in short, even a harmless mistake could cost you. Here are a few suggestions that can help you “work on your honesty”:

1. If you're not sure, don't guess.
2. Provide extra information if the company's situation has changed.
3. Be careful with titles and temp work.
4. Don't obsess over it.