Today's Tip For Job Seekers

In the news.

Fake Resumes Work Better Than The Real Thing

If you're looking for a better job, you'd better fake it -- your resume, that is. That's the word from southern California-based resume expert Derek Johnson, who runs fakeresume.com. He says human resources types are looking for the slightest excuse to throw your resume in the trash, but a little embellishing can convince them to give it a second look. As he puts it, "Human resources staffers don't hire people, they hire problem solvers," so he recommends peppering your resume with bogus statistics like "instituted a policy that reduced spending by 28 percent." The stats may not be true, but Johnson says they're "hard to prove, especially if you worked for a private company." Plus, he adds, they're more eye-catching than generic terms like "goal oriented" or "self starter." But resume lying can only go so far. Johnson says it's okay to claim experience in various types of computer software to get the job but "you better run out and buy a "For Dummies" book if you want to keep it."