Jobs Erased From Resumes

It's generally assumed that the most common falsehoods found in executive resumes are academic degrees that were never earned or military service that never occurred.

However, it's far more common for executives to omit brief stints at jobs that didn't work out or didn't fit well with current career goals, like the airline executive who for several months worked for a gambling-related company. People often hide such omissions by stretching the dates of jobs held just before and just after.

We also keep a sharp eye out for undisclosed corporate affiliations, particularly when these companies have had controversies.

It is often the “little things” people edit out of their pasts that a prospective business partner or employer most needs to know. That's why we pay close attention to the dates in resumes and verify the story they tell by cross-checking with such external sources as news articles, press releases, regulatory filings, even college alumni bulletins.