Hopefully you’re lucky enough to be cranking up the hiring machine in the last part of 2015. We also hope you don’t see any resumes like these.
The folks at CareerBuilder will tell you.
The latest list they’ve compiled spotlights some tall tales told on real-life resumes, ranging from the humorous typo to downright outrageous lies.
Fluent in Pig Latin?
Take a look at what some people are hoping will slip through unnoticed … and still land them the job:
- Applicant claimed to be a former CEO of the company to which they were applying.
- Applicant for a driver position claimed to have 10 years of experience but had only had a driver’s license for four years.
- Applicant wrote “whorehouse” instead of “warehouse” when listing work history.
- Applicant’s personal website linked to a porn site.
- Applicant introduced himself [in the cover letter] by saying “Hey you.”
- Applicant vying for a customer service position gave “didn’t like dealing with angry customers” as the reason for leaving her last job.
- User name of applicant’s email address was “2poopy4mypants.”
- Applicant claimed to be a Nobel Prize winner.
- Applicant claimed to be fluent in two languages – one of which was pig Latin.
- Applicant claimed to have worked in a jail when they were really in there serving time.
- Applicant who claimed to be HVAC certified later asked the hiring manager what “HVAC” meant.
- Applicant said to have gotten fired “on accident.”
- Applicant claimed to have attended a college that didn’t exist.
- Applicant listed as a reference an employer from whom they had embezzled money and had an arrest warrant out for the applicant.
- Applicant’s stated job history had him in three different companies and three different cities simultaneously.
The real kicker here? The people doing the hiring aren’t even that concerned with your qualifications!
Will accept 3 in 5 qualifications
Of course, you and other hiring managers are looking for the best possible candidates for the vacant position. But it turns out a missing piece here and there isn’t a dealbreaker.
The CareerBuilder survey revealed that 42% of employers would consider a candidate that met only three of five key qualifications for a specific position.
Maybe you have a candidate for a finance job that you really like but who’s short on certain skills. If the person is the best fit for your culture, has the work ethic you’re looking for and is highly motivated, you may be better off overlooking a lack of experience with a specific accounting software.
That’s something that can be taught, while the other things are tougher to come by. A little flexibility in what you’re willing to accept can nab you the best person for the job.
There’s an added bonus to going that route: You’ll build extra loyalty with that new hire by showing you’re willing to invest time (and money) in their skills development. So you may be more likely to retain your new find.
Info: For more on the CareerBuilder survey, click careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=8%2f13%2f2015&siteid=cbpr&sc_cmp1=cb_pr909_&id=pr909&ed=12%2f31%2f2015
