Can we talk about lying on your resume to get past automated filters?

Honestly, I hit a wall for 6 months applying to marketing coordinator jobs in Phoenix. Hundreds of apps, nothing. A buddy in HR told me companies use software that scans for specific keywords and if you don't have them exactly, you're out. So I tried a trick: I looked up job descriptions for roles I actually qualified for, then copied the exact phrases into my skills section. First week after that, I got 3 callbacks. But now I feel weird about it. Like, is this just gaming the system or is everyone doing it? On one hand, it got me interviews. On the other, I wonder if it's dishonest even though I have the experience. What's the line between being smart and being shady here? Has anyone else tried this or do you stick to 100 percent honesty?

2 comments

2 Comments

beth_baker694d ago

Start looking around at how many "hacks" people use in their daily lives and you'll see it's the same thing. People use coupon codes at grocery stores that only apply if they load them on their app first, that's gaming a system. Artists use preset filters on Instagram to make their photos pop more, that's gaming a system too. Nobody calls that shady because the rules are just part of how things work now. Your resume software filter thing is basically the same deal - you're not lying about having the skills, you're just speaking the language the machine wants to hear. The real shady part would be if you sat in an interview and pretended you knew things you clearly didn't, but you said you actually qualify for these jobs so you're good.

paul_webb453d ago

I hear what you're saying @beth_baker69 but I gotta push back a little. The difference is coupon codes and Instagram filters are openly designed for you to use them, nobody's hiding that. When you stuff keywords into your resume that you barely know just to get past a robot, that's more like lying by omission. You're tricking the system into thinking you're something you're not, even if you do qualify for the job in other ways.