There was a high-profile story in the news recently, about the consequences of lying on a resume. Did you see it? Robert Irvine, the host of his own show "Dinner: Impossible" on the Food Network will not have his contract renewed next season. The problem, apparently, is that he fabricated parts of his resume. What a shame! Padded resumes are often the result of job seekers' insecurities about some perceived weakness or lack in their qualifications. But, it simply isn't necessary to lie. In fact, it is just plain wrong! Robert Irvine could have avoided this whole situation had he turned to an expert to help him frame the credentials that he did have in the most positive light, rather than faking credentials that he didn't have.
One of the most frequent questions that I am asked by potential clients takes the form of... "I have a problem (or weakness) in my professional history in the form of XYZ. I'm afraid of how that will look on my resume. Have you ever dealt with this problem (or weakness) before? Do you think you could help me?"
Maybe the issue is the lack of a degree, a gap in the work history, having been fired from a past job, or one of a thousand other possible challenges. Whatever it is, after 12 years and countless thousands of resumes, it is a pretty good bet that I HAVE dealt with the situation before. But, more important than whether I have dealt with any particular situation in the past, is that I understand how to use ethical, honest strategies to highlight my client's strengths while downplaying their weaknesses. By fully understanding how to apply these strategies, I am confident that even if I come across the odd situation that is completely unique, I can still handle it in an ethical manner, letting the truth shine through while promoting my client as the top-notch, competitive candidate that he or she is.
The situation that Robert Irvine finds himself in was the inspiration for this week's article. As always, I hope you find it enlightening and helpful! Read on...
