Is it ok to embellish or lie on a resume? LinkedIn Poll says "No"

I see thousands of resumes and meet with hundreds of candidates every year. More often than not the reality of the candidate matches up pretty closely with how they represented themselves in their resume. Through the years I have come to learn, and I now assume, that many people 'embellish' their resume. They do this not so much with an intent to deceive but simply to highlight their strengths and make themselves appear as qualified as possible.

For those of you on LinkedIn you know there are all sorts of polls about every topic imaginable. Most of these I pay only slight attention to. Recently however one caught my eye both for its subject matter as well as for the response and comments it generated. Bobby Edelman, the founder of Interns Over 40, put up the question to LinkedIn members: "Is it OK to embellish or lie on a resume?" More than 1,200 people (the poll still has 7 days to go) weighed in with an overwhelming majority - 83% - saying "No!" (9% said "Only if you have to" and 7% said "Yes!").

I realize I am splitting hairs but Mr. Edelman's poll actually asks two separate questions as there is a subtle but real distinction, at least in my humble opinion, between embellishment and an outright lie. Outright lies are in the realm of black and white with embellishment introducing shades of grey. According to Webster's II dictionary, to embellish is "To make beautiful, as by ornamentation: Adorn". To lie is to put forward "a false statement purposely put forward as truth; something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression."

All of this begs the question as to what is the purpose of a resume in the first place. As a recruiter I understand that the resume really has but one solitary purpose: to get someone like me to pick up the phone and call a candidate to get further information. As I get that additional information it's up to me to determine how much of the resume was fact, how much was fiction, and yes - how much was embellishment.

Make no mistake, I - like the majority of poll respondents - absolutely believe that to lie on a resume (for example, to claim a college degree when it has not been awarded) is wrong under any circumstances. Lies tend to come out sooner or later often with dire consequences. I also believe that as employers and candidates progress from the initial steps of introduction through interviewing to job offer and onboarding it is incumbent on both sides to accurately portray themselves as honestly as possible. In other words, the role of 'embellishment' diminishes greatly as both sides get to know each other (sounds a lot like dating!). This becomes especially relevant as candidates complete formal job applications. While resumes can represent your personal brand and all the wonderful things you think you are, in the words of Detective Friday of Dragnet fame, when it comes to completing an application its "Just the facts." This is why employers, including Pinnacol, frown on candidates saying "See resume..." on applications.

Finally, I'll wrap up with some good advice for both employers and candidates from one of our former Presidents. When it comes to making a decision based on often imperfect information, "Trust, but verify."