I am often asked how acceptable it is to “finesse” a CV or resume. Either because someone is worried about being subject to ageism, or because they’re trying to show that their job and experience is more senior than their title might suggest. Or they’ve had an unexpectedly short job stint that they are embarrassed about and don’t want that “counted against them” with perceptions that they’re a “job hopper” or unable to make good decisions about their career choices.

My immediate response is usually “don’t do it”. Honesty and integrity are crucial in professional settings, and misrepresenting your skills, qualifications, or experience can have serious consequences.

Employers expect candidates to be truthful throughout a hiring process, and if an employer learns that you’ve adjusted your resume in a way they deem to be significant, you'll bring into question your trust and honesty - both regarded as essential competencies in all professional environments. Also, in today's digital age, background checks and verification processes are becoming more sophisticated making it easier for employers to find anomalies, fast. If you are caught lying on your resume, it can easily lead to immediate disqualification from the hiring process.

Even after you’ve been hired, if an employer discovers that you lied on your resume, it will likely tarnish your reputation within the company, with a high chance of you being fired. In some cases, lying on your resume can have legal implications, especially if it involves falsifying certifications, degrees, or work experience. Word of your dishonesty may spread, making it difficult to find future job opportunities.

You just never know who knows who, and in what context your name may come up in a conversation. Depending on your profession and/or your industry, your employer could easily and accidentally learn of your CV discrepancies through a simple “water cooler” conversation, again leading to consequences you hadn’t expected.

I have to concede though that sometimes, maybe we need to allow some tolerance for “finessing” a resume.

Take for instance Maria. 60 years old, still wanting to work, and continually being declined because of (but never admitted to) ageism for her clearly noted 40 years of career experience. If she could just get the chance to speak with a recruiter or hiring leader, she’d have the chance to wow, but without even knowing her, recruiters/hiring leaders will be automatically making assumptions about her energy levels, her comfort with tech, her ability to learn, her “career runway”….

Or Pavan. His first “leadership” job lasted for 3 months before he was fired on a whim by a new CEO who “didn’t like his haircut” (but this was covered up by HR who advised Pavan that cost reductions meant his role was redundant). Pavan’ decides to take a much overdue holiday with his redundancy payment but when he starts applying for jobs again, recruiters and hiring leaders just see a CV with a Director role that lasted for 3 months then 6 months of not working. and make assumptions that he’s a failed leader.

Or Minato. He suffered a heart attack at work that needed 2 years of surgeries and rehab. He’s now back in full health, physically and mentally, but recruiters and hiring leaders are concerned that a. he may have ongoing health problems that will fall on them and b. he’s so out of date after this time away that he just won’t be capable.

With these types of examples, it’s easy to understand why someone opts to take the risk of hiding their age, hiding a role, accounting for health recovery time as a “planned sabbatical”. And so long as company recruiters and hiring leaders continue to apply their own prejudices and misinformed assumptions, I guess job seekers will continue to find ways to be creative just for the chance to have a chance.