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Should a job applicant lie on a résumé? Recruiters who were asked that question replied with a resounding "No!" But you might be tempted anyway. After all, you reason, who is really going to check your degree or alleged accomplishment?

Why would anyone lie on a résumé in a day and age when the Internet makes it so easy to find out everything about you? Sooner or later, someone will check to find out if you actually did receive your master's degree, or if you did graduate summa cum laude, or if you did attend the universities you listed. That's what makes Marti Buscaglia the latest cautionary tale.

Buscaglia, 54, had worked in the newspaper industry for 30 years, her last five as publisher of the Duluth News Tribune in Minnesota. June 29 was to be Buscaglia's last day at the News Tribune before she moved to sunny Southern California where she was to start her new job at the Orange County Register and be responsible for business operations, overseeing the editorial and opinion pages and the Spanish-language paper Excelsior.

But before Buscaglia could make the move, her 30-year lie was found out. According to the Register, Buscaglia said she had graduated from Lima University in Peru, but apparently she didn't.

Register publisher N. Christian Anderson issued this memo before Buscaglia joined them in Orange County: "I regret that information came to light after we had announced Marti's appointment that precluded our being able to move forward with this decision. She has come forward to inform us that she misrepresented her educational qualifications on her résumé and agrees that it could harm her credibility with the readers of the Register."

Of course, Buscaglia is not the only person to lie on her résumé. Only two months earlier, Marilee Jones, the former dean of admissions at Massachusetts Institute of Technology—yes, MIT—resigned suddenly after it was discovered that she fabricated her academic credentials. Jones claimed on her résumé to have degrees from Albany Medical College, Union College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute—all lies.

Recruiting experts say finding the truth in the information age is too easy and should deter anyone from lying. But is it OK for a person to lie or not tell an interviewer about their orientation, disability or, if possible, their race?

Résumés market only your abilities and accomplishments, so you should stick to that format. Information about orientation is usually not job-related and, therefore, should not be disclosed on the résumé or in an interview.

In cases where a disability is not visible, the candidate should use his or her comfort level about self-identifying, says Nancy Starnes, vice president and chief of staff of the National Organization on Disability in Washington, D.C. While some companies allow applicants to identify disabilities on their applications, she cautions that self-identifying too early can discourage managers who are uncomfortable with dealing with disabilities from providing a face-to-face interview. So, when applying to a company that does not have a strong track record in hiring and supporting individuals with disabilities, she advises caution.

(For those companies that do have good track records with people with disabilities, see the Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities)

But how could Buscaglia and Jones or anyone else not imagine that sooner or later a lie as basic and traceable as their educational background would catch up with them? The present corporate climate should make people expect that their record will receive more scrutiny than less.

"In today's world, employers, because of ethics laws and corporate-responsibility guidelines, are going deeper into their background checks," says Berlinda Fontenot-Jamerson, director of diversity and human resources for Disney-owned ABC. "Today they're drilling down and checking everyone, particularly if you're going to have control of finances or if you'll be in the public eye."

Moreover, in the current economic climate, companies are fighting for talented recruits, which means they desire people who can start and get up to speed fast. If a person lies about abilities or experience, the demands of the job will reveal the lack of knowledge and the person will be fired.

"In today's [corporate culture] you're doing more with less, so companies are ensuring they're making the right fit and that recruits know what the job entails and what to expect," says Michelle Kuranty, retail, financial-services staffing manager for Chase.

"If you say you know Excel and you don't, then you won't have the job long," adds Kuranty. "People want to make sure they're applying and interviewing in a realistic way because that's when they'll be most successful. When you get into a situation where you can't be effective, you don't get promoted because you're a low performer." 

Also, if a person lies on their résumé and is fired, the person will have to explain in subsequent interviews the gap in time when they didn't have a job.

"There's ways to present yourself as a strong candidate without lying. You have to look at your résumé and candidacy for positions as a marketing opportunity. Look at it through the lens of selling a product, which is you," says Joseph Hammill, manager of talent acquisition for corporate human resources at Xerox Corp. (No. 7 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity^® list).

Résumés should tell recruiters little about past job experiences and a lot about how the applicant went above and beyond the duties while working for their current employer. Each job history item should answer the question of how the applicant added value to the company.

"Whenever you have to fabricate, you may not be able to live up to the expectations you're providing employers, so give the most accurate picture, especially in today's market where there isn't room for learning on the job," says Tony Jenkins, market president of Central Florida and vice president of cultural competence and diversity at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (No. 15 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list). 

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