Author Archives: Don Whiteside

Every job applicant wants to look his or her best on a resume or during a job interview. After all, the person viewed as the best will likely get the job.  But, how far are you willing to go to leave that golden impression? Maybe stretching the truth a bit? Rating your skill levels a tad bit higher than actual? Outright lying? In reality, job seekers do all the above.Politicians are famous for putting a “spin” on any situation so they always come out smelling like roses. Similarly, applicants also want to cast themselves in the best possible light.  Experienced interviewers are well aware most candidates engage in a bit of “puffing.”  Merriam-Webster defines puffing as “to praise extravagantly and usually with exaggeration.” For example, consider an applicant who actually won sales awards only three months last year. On a resume or during an interview, the person may puff this modest achievement as “regularly” winning sales awards.OK, so there is some deception out there. But, how bad is it? In a 2014 press release, CareerBuilder.com stated that a recent survey found 58% of hiring managers said they’ve caught a lie on a resume and 33% have seen an increase in resume embellishments.  Think about it. This means the data shows a slight majority of job seekers lie on resumes and the situation is only getting worse!

When Does Puffing Become Lying?

According to an article from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, “The challenge, experts say, is not to cross the line from harmless puffery to a more damaging form of elaboration. In some cases, the limits of what is accepted and what isn’t are clear-cut — few would condone amplifications that break the law, for example, or cause others serious harm. Equally prone to reproach are cases in which company executives or leaders within an organization are found to have included degrees they never earned, or positions they never held, on their resumes…”

What Do People Lie About?

If people lie on resumes and during interviews, it begs the questions of what kinds of things they lie about and the size of the untruths. As it turns out, we’re not just talking about “little white lies” or innocent stretches of the truth here. No, we’re talking about real whoppers. Like what?The three most common lies job seekers tell, according to Monster.com, relate to education, dates of employment, and skill levels. Lies about education can range from exaggerating the importance of certain courses or programs to outright falsification of college degrees.  Regarding employment dates, the Monster.com article states, “Another common deceit is to cover up employment gaps by ‘stretching dates for one or two jobs to cover a time gap, or fabricating an interim job…’” When it comes to skill levels, as you might expect, applicants usually tend to overrate themselves. For example, just because you took one class or attended a one-day seminar on Microsoft Excel, should you describe yourself as a “highly skilled” user of the application?  Doing so misrepresents the skill level regardless of whether such a portrayal is a deliberate lie or simply due to self-delusion.Because of such attempted deceptions, many employers now routinely test job applicants to determine their actual skill levels. Be sure to read the Career Lantern posting Should You Expect a Skill Test During a Job Interview?

Misrepresentations Can Have Consequences

Suppose Human Resources or an interviewer catches a lie on a resume, during the interview, or even after a person is hired. What happens?  At a minimum, your resume gets tossed out. Suppose you do land an interview but then get caught in a lie. Think about how horribly embarrassing it would be to leave the interview room with egg on your face - and, of course, no chance of a job offer. It is also no secret that most companies have a policy of firing a person who is later found to have falsified some aspect of their resume or job application. You could get fired even after holding the position for years and having done a great job! Or, worse yet, you could end up in prison.Say what? According to an interesting blog post by ShakeLaw.com, “…the cardinal sin of resume fraud is falsifying your educational record.” The posting describes how in some states it is actually illegal to either falsely claim you received a degree from an actual, accredited university, or to list a degree from a “diploma mill.” You know how these shady, so-called colleges work: you send money, no real coursework required, and you quickly receive a “degree.” According to the article, penalties for such deceptions vary by state but might include significant fines (e.g., $2,000) and a year in prison.

Will They Catch You?

Probably. With so many applicants making so many false claims, Human Resources departments have become very skilled at detecting deceptions on resumes and applications.  Also, the job interview can be a vulnerable time for dishonest candidates. An experienced interviewer can quickly separate fact from fiction by merely asking the applicant simple questions which “scratch just below the surface.”According to a CNBC article, famous SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk asks one simple interview question to catch a candidate's bluff: “What were the most difficult problems you faced and how did you solve them?” Musk goes on to state, "People who really solved the problem, they know exactly how they solved it." In other words, applicants who merely puff will not have a deep level of knowledge or detail and will quickly be found out.I agree with Mr. Musk. For example, I recall interviewing an applicant who claimed a vast amount of experience testing a particular piece of equipment. He proudly described how he had served an internship lasting months where he had worked every single day with the machines, performing tests on hundreds of them. All I did was simply ask the applicant the brand name of the devices he tested.  His response?  “Uh… er, they were blue in color.”

It Doesn’t Matter if You’re Clever

You may think you’re pretty clever and could pull off a deception. However, there may be others who will gladly help to take you down. Think about it. Any number of people might be happy to put a knife into the back of your career. A jealous colleague, unhappy former employee, passed-over applicant, angry ex-significant other, just to name a few.Need an example? Here’s a true story.  Consider the company that hired a person to head up a large, important department.  The press release regarding the hiring of the individual touted how he had a bachelor’s degree from a respected college and an impressive work history with a well-known firm. A few days later, an anonymous letter arrived in their Human Resources department suggesting that the company look a little closer into the new manager’s credentials.  They did.  As it turned out, the individual had falsified his education.  Although he had indeed attended the college indicated, he was actually a few credit hours short of having completed his bachelor’s degree.  Therefore, in reality, he had no college degree at all. Unfortunately, the job description for this management position absolutely required a degree.Let’s assess his situation. No degree. Lied on his documents and in the interview. Caught red-handed. To make matters even worse, the whole incident became public and severely embarrassed the company president. You can guess the outcome. The new guy was out the door just as quickly as he had arrived.

The Bottom Line

As a job applicant, you are selling yourself. Like a salesperson, your immediate task IS to paint your product – you - in the best light possible.  You want your experience, skills, and credentials to come off looking good. A job interview is the right time to “toot your own horn” a bit. It’s OK. You do all this to show the potential employer why YOU are the best candidate.However, keep it honest, even if many other job applicants do not.Why? It’s the right thing to do. Besides, you otherwise just might be reading Career Lantern while in the unemployment line or from a prison cell.Agree? Disagree? Share your experience or thoughts? Click “Leave a Comment” at the top right of this post (or at the bottom on some mobile apps).Featured image courtesy of peter67/pixabay.

You’ve just finished that big job interview.  Things seem to have gone really well and you’re feeling good about it. You think you nailed all their questions. The interviewers appeared to like you and were upbeat. Now, more than ever, you really want to work there. Suddenly, a thought pops into your head: should I send thank-you messages to the interviewers?Good question!You will likely hear two points of view on this question from friends and colleagues.  The first says sending a thank-you note is old-school, outdated, and makes you look old-fashioned.   The other says interviewers expect such notes and failing to send one can negatively impact their hiring decision. Which way do you go?

What Do the Professionals Say?

According to an article on the well-known job hunting website Monster.com, “Sending a thank-you note after an interview should be an important part of any job-hunting strategy. Whether or not you send a thank-you note could actually determine if you get the job.”  Alex Cavoulacos, in an article on TheMuse, states, “…most hiring managers pay very close attention to how well (and how rapidly) you write a thank you note.” She goes on to say, “Your thank you note sets the tone as your first interview follow-up. So, whatever you do: Don't skip it.”Alison Doyle, in a thebalancecareers post writes, “Why are thank-you letters important? The first reason to send a thank-you letter is that it's just plain, good manners. But there's also a self-serving purpose: a thank-you note is your opportunity to get your name in front of people one last time and leave a positive impression.”Sure, you can find forums online where people bash the idea of sending thank-you notes. However, I have not yet found a professional manager or HR person who actively discourages them. In fact, according to the Monster.com article cited earlier, “…80% of HR managers say thank-you notes are helpful when reviewing candidates.”

Let’s Look at the Issue Logically

Personally, whether or not I received a thank-you note never had a major impact on my hiring decisions.   But then again, I’m not everyone. However, for some hiring managers, failing to receive a thank-you note from you may be a really big deal.  You the applicant, of course, have no way of knowing which way the person making the decision leans. So, let’s look at the situation in a logical and pragmatic way.

• In the event the manager expects a thank-you note, if you send one, your bases are covered.
• The manager may not care either way about receiving a thank-you note. If so, you lose nothing by sending one.
• Some of your competitors – the other candidates - may have sent notes and you certainly don’t want to make yourself look less polite or professional! According to the Monster.com article cited previously, “…only 24% of HR managers receive thank-you notes from applicants.” Think of it this way: sending a note may give you the chance to look better than the other 76%!
• Of course, there is always a chance the hiring manager may dislike thank-you notes.

What about that last point? Sure, there may be the occasional quirky hiring manager who really thinks sending thank-you notes is a sign of an old mindset and actually holds it against applicants. However, realistically, I think such people are few and far between.  Plus, based on the articles cited above, the online experts would seem to agree with me on that point.This sounds like a risk-versus-benefit decision.  Here’s my conclusion:

The potential benefit gained by sending a thank-you note outweighs the risk of sending one.

Would you agree?

The Exception

The exception to this conclusion is if you write a really bad thank-you note.  The goal is to improve your chances of getting hired, not spoil the good impression you may have already made during the job interview!  A note with poor wording, bad grammar, etc. will definitely work against you. This is true regardless of how the interviewer may feel about thank-you notes. Therefore, write your note every bit as professionally as your cover letter, resume, and other materials.

What Should It Say?

Keep the note fairly short.  This is NOT the time to include a lengthy discussion of your skills or experience, or to try and repair any mistakes you may have made during the interview.  It's too late for that; you already had your shot.  There are four basic things you should convey in your communication:

• Thank them for the interview
• Reiterate that you are a good fit for the position
• Indicate that the interview enhanced your interest in the job
• Tell them you look forward to the next step in the hiring process

Regarding the “good fit” statement, go easy on this point and don’t overdo it.  Some of the most ridiculous notes I ever read were from minimally qualified individuals with little or no experience who arrogantly tried to paint themselves as rock stars in their field.There are numerous websites online with examples of thank-you notes. Do a search and look at several of them. One such site with sample notes is is CareerSidekick.com.  Use a format which is consistent with your personal style, uses good common sense, and sounds professional.  Do not just copy and paste the text!  Avoid sounding like a form letter by rewriting it to suit your style. Use your own words and tailor the message to the job where possible.

Email or Snail Mail?

OK, so you decided to send a thank-you note. Now, you are debating whether to send it electronically via email or mail a physical note card or letter through the post office.Since the majority of business communication is now by email, it is the norm.  The Monster.com article cited above indicated that a survey found “94% of HR managers say it’s appropriate to send a thank-you note via email, as most (65%) of the thank-yous they receive are sent by email.” If you decide to send your note by email, you’re in good company.Pamela Skillings, in an article How to Write an Interview Thank You Email previously posted on BigInterview.com, offers an interesting perspective about the use of email. She writes, “Be sure to steer clear of odd hours of the night. If the interviewer even manages to find your email buried in memos and junk mail, it may seem strange that you were up at 3am.”  I think she's on to something here.  I have heard day-shift people comment about emails they received which were created in the middle of the night. Generally, they seem to think it's a bit weird.Another factor in this decision is time.  I often received thank-you notes in the U.S. mail several days after the hiring decision was already made and another applicant had accepted the position!  One of the “any questions for us?” you should ask during the job interview is about the hiring time frame.  (Be sure to read our Career Lantern article Questions to Ask and Not Ask on a Job Interview.)  When the hiring decision will be made shortly, definitely use email. However, regardless of which method you decide to use, write your note and send or mail it the same day as the interview.

Hand-written or typed?

Send a hand-written thank-you note if you feel a more personal approach would be appropriate. However, only do this if your writing or printing is exceptionally nice and very legible. An unreadable, hand-scrawled note reflects poorly on you and simply defeats your entire purpose for sending one in the first place. If your normal handwriting looks like something a doctor scribbled on a prescription slip, by all means type it!

Where and to Whom Do I Send It?

The last thing you want to do is send your note to the wrong address, whether email or U.S. mail. Also, you certainly don’t want to offend the recipient by getting his or her name and/or title wrong! How do you avoid doing this?

• The best – and easiest – way is to simply ask the interviewers for their business cards when they make their introductions. This is very common. In fact, many interviewers expect to be asked and will have cards ready for you.
• Sometimes, for a whole host of valid reasons, the interviewers may not have business cards available. In this case, be sure to write down the names as best you can. Then, check with the secretary, receptionist, or your initial contact person for the needed information right after the interview. They likely either know the answer or have access to an internal, non-public company directory.
• As a last resort, check the company website for an organizational chart or employee directory. However, this may be the least reliable method for several reasons.  The needed information may not even be on the website.  There may be several persons listed with the same name. Also, websites are often not updated regularly.

Just in case you are wondering, yes, send a separate email or note to each individual interviewer.  Sending a group email or card doesn't cut it.  A multiple-recipient thank-you is less personal and makes you look like you didn't even respect the interviewers enough to bother writing individual notes.Agree? Disagree? Share your experience or thoughts? Click “Leave a Comment” at the top right of this post (or at the bottom on some mobile apps).Featured image courtesy of GingerQuip/pixabay.com