If you're looking for a job you don't need to be told that it's a tough world out there. CNN and other news outlets will be happy to remind you of daily corporate layoffs. It would be easy to become demoralized and consider desperate measures to make yourself stand out from the crowd of applicants even if it only means just slightly, somewhat, sort-of exaggerating about yourself in your resume and interview responses.
After all, isn't hype the norm these days? My hometown has some of the nicest weather in the country and yet our local news calls its weather report "Storm Tracker." In the same vein, many resume and cover letter guides cheerfully provide their readers with wonderful marketing phrases to sound appealing to employers. Aren't we all team players, hard workers, highly motivated multi-taskers? The potential employer can't see us sitting alone on the sofa deep into the eighth hour of the NCIS marathon. So why not promote what we could be?Cognitive scientists have shown that perception is reality. As Anais Nin wrote, "We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are." Or to paraphrase Hamlet, "Nothing is, but thinking makes it so." Our perceptions, desires, and needs make us present ourselves the way we would like to be seen. And arguably there is no better place to put on the best show than in the job search (well, maybe in dating also... but that's someone else's blog...).
The desire to present ourselves in the best possible light is normal and appropriate in the job search situation. But when do we move from marketing to lying? And is it ever justified?
I work in a university setting with college students seeking their first professional position. Mostly what they have to sell is promise and potential rather than hard experience. And that is the distinction: knowing what is promise and what is reality.
Your work history and personal characteristics fall into two categories: facts and opinions. Getting clear on that will guide you as you write your resume and practice your interview responses. What are your facts? Your education, grade point average, dates you worked, job titles and duties, etc., are all easily uncovered by a good reference checker. Be clear about these.
In certain job situations, such as applying to government agencies like the CIA or NSA you will need to carry honesty to the extreme even if you think it will ultimately hurt you. If you think you can ignore that time you were arrested for underage drinking, think again. It's better to admit to it and let the chips fall where they may. In the case of the CIA and other agencies, you will not be the first to admit to such a situation, and your honesty will actually get you further. I've seen numerous situations where a candidate told the truth, and was rewarded for their honesty. Get caught in a lie however and you will forever ruin any chance of being hired by that employer.
But what about opinions--the marketing angle? What about saying you're a team player and a hard worker? That's OK- just back it up. How do you know you're a team player? Do you just think you are or can you give an example-- the time you saved the team project by stepping in and doing the work without taking credit? Can you show that you worked two jobs and raised a family? Now that's hard work. Whatever you say about yourself, be ready to document it through your actions. Present yourself in the best possible light because you are the best person for the job.
Bottom line: be smart. Employers can check facts and can fire you for lying on an application (including a resume). Just check the resumes of recently defrocked football coaches. Look at your jobs and talents and find creative ways to link them to what they employer is seeking. Back up what you say with honest examples and your "marketing" will result in a job.
