More Than Half of Americans Would Lie to Get a Job in 2023

Would you go to the same extreme?

Many Americans have been feeling the strain of inflation. And if you spent the better part of 2022 dipping into your savings account and racking up credit card debt to cover your bills, well, you're in good company, for better or worse.

But the impact of inflation is perhaps driving job seekers to go to the extreme of lying to get hired at new jobs. And if that's a route you choose to take, you should know that it could backfire on you in a very big way.

More than half of Americans would lie to get a job

A recent study by StandOut CV found that 57% of Americans are prepared to lie in the course of getting hired this year. That could mean embellishing their resumes or not being truthful during an interview. Worse yet, 55% of Americans say they've already lied at least once in the course of getting a job.

A mistake you might sorely regret

Lying on a job application could have serious consequences if you get caught. And chances are, you will get caught one way or another.

Let's say you list on your resume that you graduated from college, when in reality, you never finished your degree. That's a fairly easy thing for a prospective employer to check, and lying about it could cost you the chance to get the job you want.

Meanwhile, let's say you lie about things that aren't as easy to verify -- say, you claim to have experience with a certain task or in a certain area when in reality, you're quite rusty. That may be the sort of thing you can pull off long enough to land a job offer. 

But here's what's apt to happen next. If you claim to have skills you don't actually possess, it's likely to become clear early on once you start your new role. And once you're caught, that new job might be taken away. 

It's better to tell the truth

A new job could be your ticket to a higher paycheck -- and the opportunity to boost your income and finally stop living off of your credit cards. But if you want to increase your chances of getting a job offer, or getting a job you actually get to keep, then be truthful from start to finish. 

If you never finished college, be upfront about it. You never know when an employer might not consider it a deal-breaker, or might be sympathetic to the fact that, say, you dropped out your last year to care for an ailing parent and never managed to get back to your studies.

What’s more, if there's experience or skills you lack, own that -- but talk up the fact that you're a fast learner who's willing to work really hard to get up to speed. An employer might be willing to take a chance on you if you're missing a few skills, but you present yourself as a confident job candidate with a can-do attitude.

Lying generally isn't a great thing to do in life, and it's certainly not a wise move when you're looking to get hired. So resist the urge to do it, even though more than half of Americans are seemingly willing to not tell the truth.