For those of you who are honest as the day is long, I am going to apologize ahead of time.  This may seem like a rant of a post – but I think it is important.  Throughout my tenure in this industry, I have represented unbelievable talent.  Ethical.  Trustworthy.  Professional.  I can’t say enough about the majority of candidates I have had the pleasure of representing.

I am not sure whether it is my long tenure in the recruiting industry that I pick up on little things that just don’t sit right in my gut – or whether lying has become the norm these days.   The number of lies I have heard from candidates over the past three weeks is just too many not to address.  Let’s get right down to it…

• It is NOT ok to leave a job off your resume that ‘didn’t work out’ – the time must be accounted for on your resume. Further, it is NOT ok to just ‘smudge’ the dates of your employment before and your employment after your ‘short stint’ hoping that the recruiter won’t catch it.  We will.  It IS ok to be honest and tell your recruiter about your situation, so they can help you.
• If I interview you and you tell me you are bilingual, YOU WILL BE TESTED on your skills. Even though I might not speak Spanish, I do have ways to assess your skills.

True story: 3 weeks ago, after interviewing a candidate from out of town, I presented him to a client requiring bilingual skills for a particular opening.  The candidate assured me he was bilingual and even had a story of how he was ‘very strong’ at speaking Spanish.  My client and I decided that it would be best to have a Spanish speaking member of her team participate in part of the interview, which was taking place using skype.  When my client went to get her fellow Spanish-speaking coworker to speak to the candidate, the candidate DISAPPEARED!  Dropped off the screen. Dropped off the call.  Never to be heard from again.

• Your resume should reflect the proper name of the company you work for. Not a division, not a separate location that you visit sometimes, not the location of people who will say the best things about you – the ACTUAL place that writes your paycheck.  Why?  When somebody like me calls to verify your employment (yes, we do that), they need to know who you are.  Imagine the awkward silence on the phone when I call to verify dates of employment and they ask for the spelling of your last name multiple times….
• If you are no longer working at your most recent employer, please tell your recruiter. Nothing says ‘fist to forehead’ or ‘egg on face’ faster than a client calling to say, “Did you know they are no longer working there?”

So, the next time you have an interview with a recruiter and it feels like they are giving you the third degree, please realize that our credibility with our clients is at stake.  Our client companies hire us to find, screen, interview, evaluate and present the best candidates for the opportunity they have available – and they trust us.  We represent you based on what you tell us and if you lie to us, our credibility with our clients is destroyed.

I love talking to new people every day and reaching out to a potential candidate to discuss a great opportunity.  I love finding the ‘off paper’ skills so that I can help candidates find the opportunity of their dreams.   I am in your corner.  Trust me enough to tell me the truth.

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