Recession Resumes: How Low Can You Go?
The recession continues to lower expectations and raise questions, including this one: Is it acceptable to doctor your resume in order to get a job?
Resume inflation—with its over-written under-achievements—has long set the workplace standard for autobiographical unacceptability.
But is resume deflation just as irresponsible?
Employment agencies and job recruiters are reacting to the growing numbers of unemployed workers they see dumbing down their experience and credentials in an effort to land a job for which they are over-qualified. Their deflationary techniques include “hiding advanced degrees, changing too-lofty titles, shortening work experience descriptions, and removing awards and accolades” from their resumes.
The new bio-degradable biography isn’t sitting well with some employers. “I’d never feel comfortable putting a really high-level candidate into a lower level position,” says an employment agency recruiter who now sees doctoral degrees listed at the bottom of resumes instead of at the traditional top. “How do I know I can trust them later down the road,” she asks, “if there’s something on their resume they decided to take off so they could have a better chance getting that job?”
For over-qualified job seekers, “scaling back the truth—or at the least, some of their experiences—can feel like the only chance at an interview.” The new semantics include downgrading titles like “manager” to “staff” and “office support.”
Job seekers are frustrated and confused by which face to show the new workplace. One under-employed, over-experienced, executive-level resume-sender deleted details of her speaking engagements and board positions. Another complained that when she minimized her experience on paper, a potential employer called her references, only to find out she was over-qualified.
Yet another laid-off worker with years of executive experience sent out thousands of accurate resumes, only to receive zero job offers. “But I can’t dumb down my resume,” he says, “because that would be lying.”
Tell us what you think: Is dumbing down a resume unethical? Should survival trump responsibility, and if so, where do you draw the line? Is it more responsible to state your true experience, or to land a paycheck?
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Qualification Tweaking
In my experience, I have been turned down for a job because I was over qualified, and for being under qualified, and yet again because I was ‘under qualified’ but had better credentials than everyone else who applied.
When businesses are shady, and have complete immunity by the government to operate however they see fit (no laws governing how they should treat their employees unless it falls into gender, ethnicity, etc.), then employees
current and potentialhave the same freedom to do as they see fit to secure a job.Just because someone has been an executive making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, and drives the latest model sports car, does not mean that they would be a bad hire at, say, a restaurant. They may have enough money in the bank, that they just need something to stem the drain on the account enough to let them continue living a comfortable lifestyle. Or they may be desperate enough for a job that they’re willing to start back at square one. I have 3 years of management experience in retail and food sales, as well as a year of outside sales experience, but I PREFER to start near the bottom. If the company and I don’t fit, then it’s not a big loss to the company if we part ways…yet if we ARE a good fit, then sooner or later my skills will be recognized and I will be offered another position, simple as that.
In short…don’t judge someone based off of prior work history. You may think they are under/over qualified, but in reality, they may end up being the best employee you ever have, will stick with the company through thick and thin, and bring you more prosper than you ever dreamed of. Especially if THEY initiated it.
Nick McEntire | 4 months, 3 weeks ago
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Recession Resumes
Excuse me but with all the near criminal activity by Wall Street Bankers who are getting Bonus after Bonus after Bonus while the WORLD Economy goes down the toilet, employers have the GUTS to request resumes that don’t have “little white lies” in them. People need to feed families! People need to pay bills (mostly to those on Wall Street)! This is about REAL PEOPLE with REAL NEEDS, not about having a 3rd or 4th vacation house in Dubai! GET REAL!!!!
Henry Narve | 4 months, 3 weeks ago
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Qualification Tweaking
Unfortunately, most companies do in fact judge someone based off of prior work history by being under/over qualified even though in reality they could have ended up being the best employe the company has ever had. Take it from me who had worked for nearly three years for a company only to be laid off so that they could save money on my salary and health benefits. I was even better than most of the PE’s and Architects who would make mistakes on their reports. Go figure.
Kevin Walsh | 4 months, 3 weeks ago
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Really...
Dishonesty is unacceptable, but people need to pay bills. What’s the alternative when you can’t get a high-level job for which you are qualified? The employers in this article seem to think that it is reasonable to expect high-level workers to either make six figures or starve to death—nothing in between. That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I will never lie or be dishonest on my resume. However, I do think that employers like the ones in this article should seriously GET REAL. If someone dumbs down his/her resume, it is because he/she DESPERATELY NEEDS A FREAKIN’ JOB! Getting coldly rejected by a myopic potential employer for applying down is why these people are doctoring their resumes. The unacceptable practice of dumbing down resumes is a function of desperation, and it will unfortunately continue as long as hiring practices are what they are. I’d like to see the hiring manager of this article be temporarily thrown into the situation of the candidates he criticizes and find out how much of a hypocrite he almost certainly is (not with regard to doctoring resumes, but with regard to desperation in the dilemma of being “overqualified” for the only jobs that are available).
Michael B | 4 months, 3 weeks ago
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the over and under on competancy
Many years ago, when the economy was fire poker hot, I walked into a retail clothing store and was shocked when the woman checking me out didn’t speak a word of English. The job market was so tight for employers, this was their only option to keep the counter running. Fast forward to today. The job market is tight, but in the opposite direction. I walked into a retail store the other day and it was quite obvious to me the guy helping me was way over qualified for the position. Probably the result of the white collar lay-offs that are running through our area right now. I’ve noticed this change in several retail outlets and what great customer service I’ve received lately.
I’m a non-profit employee and I’ve been notified there might be a lay-off in our department. I have a masters degree and years of experience in crisis management, but hey, if it’s me that gets laid-off YOU bet I’m going to down play my degrees and get any job I can find…I need the benefits.
e hart | 4 months, 1 week ago
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Analyst
A resume is a marketing tool that is used for the sole purpose of getting interviews. It should be truthful, and ideally it should only contain information about your skills, experience, and accomplishments that are relevant to the position that you are applying for, i.e. a targeted resume.
On the other hand, the employer’s job description is their marketing tool intended to solicit quality employees. Have you ever seen a job ad that provides any negative or irrelevant detail about the company or the position?
Dave | 4 months, 1 week ago
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A word from the unemployed
Apparently you’re writing about life in a perfect world; one that we do not live in. I agree with all of the other authors of the other postings. People do have bills to pay, families to feed (maybe themselves too) school loans to pay etc. Just the business of everyday living expenses costs; no matter how tight of a budget one has.
I’m presently unemployed and sick; not a pretty combination. Strep pneumonia left me on my back looking up at the rest of the world – lost. Before I got sick, I was searching for a job. I rarely, if ever, received a response except for commission only positions. It is quite depressing to say the least.
Once upon a time I had medical/dental insurance, my own place, and money saved. Now my nest is depleted and I lost my apartment. I had to help my son find a place to stay on state aid (w/a Masters Degree) and I am living with my retired father (thank God for miracles) while trying to navigate the state and Social Security paperwork.
When my lungs are well enough for me to go back to work, I will do whatever I need to support myself. Getting hired depends on what side of the bed that the HR manager got up on; not necessarily your qualifications. Management is full of morons that got lucky and learned the ropes. The companies hiring lie. What’s good for the goose should be good for the gander.
Don’t need anything – just don’t get sick and old!
Scorpiobaby | 4 months, 1 week ago
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Out of work CPA with MBA degree
I have always considered a resume to be a marketing tool with the focus showing an employer why I am the right candidate for the role. I do rewrite my resume to expand on actual experience that is described in a job advertisement. Recently, I have left off my CPA and MBA credentials for mid management positions.
Bottom line: I need a job know I will work my way up in an organization, if I am given the opportunity. Until then, taller? I can be taller too.
Abbey Rhodes | 4 months, 1 week ago
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mr.
It has nothing to do with ethics; it’s survival – plain and simple. A lot of the highly educated did not or chose not to see this recession coming. Why? So those of us that are average joe’s pay for their mistakes. Don’t get me going.
frank juliano | 4 months, 1 week ago
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floorman1
After 18 yrs. and lots of schooling to stay on top of the floor covering industry i found myself with no work in July of 08. I got out the old resume and started applying at any job i found or heard was hiring, and for the last year, (yep,1 yr this month) I have been told I am overqualified for any job I have applied. I sent out an actual count of 372 resumes and have filled out over 500 application. I have joined every job site I can find and have posted my resumes on Monster,jobs AL Birmingham jobs, etc. I was contacted by “employers” from Monster.com that actually wanted me to pay them for a job so i can work. I have not been contacted by ant of the employers listed on these job finding sites that actually have work. So using sites like these is a waste of time. So all in all, telling the truth on my resume and any applications hasn’t worked for any jobs. I have been turned down as overqualified for the last year at every job i have applied for whether it is from my previous salary, experience or my schooling. So here I sit a yearr later still looking for work in any field I can find it in and doing whatever I have to do to pay my bills. I have killed $27,000.00 savings, and looks like I may have to sell my house if things don’t pick up (and yes, I did the smart thing, I chose no payments when I bought my house as the first option). The problem people have is that they want to finance everything even if they have the money to buy it outright and now it has caught up with them and the tears have started rolling now that they cant make the payments.
I actually know an accountant that is working at a car wash right now, and a business owner that works for Taco Bell.Too bad I didn’t change jobs before the depression (that’s right, I didn’t say recession, it has gotten way, way passed that). I think the world as we know it is about to change for everyone. And then you have businesses raising rates to make up for the lack of money coming in from the people that are not able to pay their bills.Charter cable was the first to raise rates here and then they were followed by the insurance companies and so on and so on. So all of the billions that we gave to big business didn’t create thousands of jobs? Of course not! It gave big businesses the money they needed to pay of their outstanding debts and to pay their over compensated desk jockeys that wouldn’t know what real work is if, it slapped them. But then again, government is another “Big Business” in this country, and Business looks out for Big Business.
Ray | 4 months ago
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