Résumés

Job seekers often have only one chance to make a first impression, and this impression usually comes in the form of a résumé. A résumé is used to showcase an individual's experience, knowledge, skills, and other pertinent background information. Most often, a résumé is used to obtain employment but it can be used for a variety of other reasons, such as gaining entrance to a graduate program, winning a scholarship or award, or securing a grant. Given the high stakes, much time is devoted to résumé construction. The process of creating a résumé can be considered a form of impression management, as it represents an attempt to control the image that others form of the candidate; however, when job seekers choose to use deceitful information, the degree of impression management used becomes an ethical concern.

Examples of once well-respected and high-ranking individuals who have been caught lying on their résumé are not difficult to find. Former Yahoo chief executive officer Scott Thompson resigned his position in May 2012 after it was discovered that he lied about holding a bachelor's degree in both accounting and computer science from Stonehill College. His degree is actually only in accounting. Laura Callahan, former senior director at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, resigned in 2004 after an investigation revealed that she had obtained her academic degrees by purchasing them from a diploma mill. Marilee Jones, who was the dean at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, lied about her college degrees, and former Veritas Software chief financial officer Kenneth E. Lonchar was let go in 2002 after it was discovered that he lied about his M.B.A. degree from Stanford University and his accounting degree from Arizona State University. These stories are not just found among corporate-suite executives and other high-ranking officials. Many recruiters have example after example of fraudulent claims they have discovered on résumés.