Having an impressive resume can mean the difference between landing the job of your dreams and returning to the classified ads every time you want a new job. Because of this, some people may lie about their education on their resumes.
Education is a factor employers consider when reviewing resumes. Despite this, SHRM found that only about 34% of employers are doing so. Some employers may verify an applicant’s education background during or after the hiring process.
Would you lie about your education in your resume to make it stand out? Continue reading.
Here, we will explain why, when, and how employers check education on resumes. You will have a much better idea after reading this article whether you should embellish your resume or tell the truth.
What is the importance of education on your resume to employers?
Employers usually check resumes for education to ensure that applicants are who they claim to be. Using this method, employers can determine whether the candidate is qualified for the job based on their degree. Employers sometimes verify resumes’ educational backgrounds for legal reasons.
Most employers know that some of those lying on their resumes could be the applicants in front of them. About 40% of people lie on their resumes, according to statistics.
Therefore, employers often check education on resumes – mostly to determine whether applicants are being truthful. It is definitely beneficial for companies to have honest and trustworthy employees. Conversely, the same cannot be said for fraudulent ones.
In some cases, employers look at the education on your resume in order to comply with legal requirements.
An applicant who wishes to become a nurse, for instance, should graduate from an accredited nursing school.
If not, he or she would not be able to take and pass the NCLEX to become a nurse.
Employers also look at other parts of a resume besides education. Competencies, experiences, roles and responsibilities, and achievements are some of the most important factors they consider.
When Employers discover you lied on your resume, what could happen?
When employers discover that candidates or employees lied on their resumes, different things can happen. There is the possibility of rescinding job offers and terminating employment. You may encounter consequences during the application process or a few or many years after you’ve been hired.
It is possible for an employer to conduct a background check on an applicant’s educational background before hiring them.
It may be carried out some time after the employee has been hired. The employee usually experiences this when he or she is being considered for a promotion or applying for one. The company may also decide to implement a performance improvement plan on its employees.
Additionally, an employee’s educational background may be verified along with other prerequisites, such as a drug test or US residency requirements.
Anyhow, lying on one’s resume about one’s education might result in disaster sooner or later.
What is the process by which employers verify education on resumes?
There are a couple of ways to verify a candidate or employee’s education on your resume. Firstly, the employer may contact the university from which the employee claims to have graduated. Another option is to use a third-party service to verify the education of the candidate.
The fact that you were hired despite lying on your resume does not mean you will have peace of mind as soon as you start working there. Even after hiring someone, employers may still run a background check on them.
Different approaches can be taken by employers to accomplish this task. They may contact colleges or universities by phone or email. Employers can find out the truth by providing the individual on the other end with basic information, such as the employee’s name and date of attendance.
In most cases, academic institutions will not share information with anyone other than their former students. However, employers will likely simply look for other verification methods.
Third-party education verification services are an option they can use. Despite the fact that it isn’t free, this approach is more likely to be successful than doing the background check themselves. As a result of leaving the task to the experts, employers can focus on running their respective companies instead of worrying about staffing.
Before Submitting Your Resume
A resume lie, such as one about your educational background, might seem appealing. Generally speaking, the more desirable the job and the bigger the paycheck, the harder it is to resist the urge. The risk of getting busted, however, is always present, which may result in something you will regret forever.
Lying about your education on your resume technically isn’t illegal, so always keep that in mind. Resumes aren’t legal documents, so if you lie on them, you won’t be prosecuted.
However, it’s enough to prevent you from being considered for a job posting or to have a job offer withdrawn. In some instances, a lie on your resume, especially about your education, is enough to lead to your termination just because your current employer failed to investigate your education during the application process.
One way to prevent getting caught in a lie about the education on your resume is to invest in some documents that reinforce your claims. At ValidGrad we offer authentic looking educational documents like diplomas and transcripts that may prevent an employer from even checking with outside sources.