Well, it is not always illegal to lie on a resume right here in the United States, but in certain and specific cases, yes, it can very well become illegal. Like, to be specific, if you lie to specifically defraud someone or some organization, use a fake degree, or maybe lie to get a certificate or something like that, then sure enough, it is a crime and you can face big fines or even jail time. This is the gray area with putting fake or false details on a resume, and you should be aware of the consequences. To understand it all in a much better way, we’d certainly recommend you to keep on reading, just to be sure that you’re not doing something illegal when submitting a resume.
What Actually Counts as a Lie on a Resume?
Resume lying is not necessarily about whether you say that you have worked for NASA. Sometimes, a small change in your profile could be enough to be on the wrong side of the line. What things? Let’s find out.
In case of exaggeration of your tenure at a company where you were actually employed, then that is a straight-up lie. Adding a degree that you have not finished is not an acceptable thing either. Actually, declaring you are extremely skilled with a certain thing when you have limited your usage only to a few instances may also be considered as lying.
Another possibility is fabricating job titles, creating companies where you have not worked, or naming false references. There are times when failure to include important details, such as an incident leading to termination at your last job, can result in deception, particularly if the intention is to present a history of work that is more favorable than the actual one.
What Do State and Federal Laws Say?
In the U.S., the rules can change depending on the state or the type of job.
To understand it in a much better way, like in Texas, if you falsify educational qualifications for a college degree, you could be sentenced to jail time of up to 6 months and a $2,000 fine. Moreover, Kentucky might result in 1 year of incarceration if the case is one of degree falsification. Besides, in New Jersey, you may be penalized only with a fine; however, it is still a punishable offense under the law.
Nah, talking about federal gigs, stuff is even tighter. If you pretend to be someone for a federal job or a job that needs a security clearance, then you might have committed a crime against the whole country. And, indeed, it’s pretty serious.
So overall, it really depends on where you apply and what kind of role you’re applying for.
What Happens If You Get Caught?
Say you were already employed, but shortly after your employer discovered that you had lied, what would be the next step?
They are allowed to terminate your employment straight away in the majority of situations. They will not warn you beforehand, and you will not get a chance to prove your innocence. Furthermore, in a few instances, they could also sue you, particularly if your falsehood was the source of some harm to the business, either money-wise or something like that.
Maybe you’ll be placed on that company’s blacklist, and in certain sectors, the news travels quickly. Your future job opportunities will also be impacted without you even realizing.
In the event of no legal action, your image may still suffer from the incident for a lengthy period of time. When one is caught in a fictitious resume, not only is their professional path affected negatively, but also the possibility of obtaining a new vacancy is minimized considerably.
