If you havent already done so, in the not-too-distant future you will prepare a rsum. In some

If you haven’t already done so, in the not-too-distant future you will prepare a résumé. In some ways, your résumé is like a company’s annual report. Its purpose is to enable others to evaluate your past, in an effort to predict your future.

A résumé is your opportunity to create a positive first impression. It is important that it be impressive—but it should also be accurate. In order to increase their job prospects, some people are tempted to “inflate” their résumés by overstating the importance of some past accomplishments or positions. In fact, you might even think that “everybody does it” and that if you don’t do it, you will be at a disadvantage.
Jay Ling, the president and CEO of a well-known electronics retailer, overstated his accomplishments by claiming that he had earned a bachelor’s of science degree, when in fact he had not. Apparently, his employer had not done a background check to ensure the accuracy of his résumé. Should the company have fired him?