Everyone wants to make a good impression on perspective employers and the resume is the first chance you get. There are stories, urban legends, TV shows, maybe even tales from friends and family, of people lying on their resume to make it look more impressive. In TV and movies, these lies usually end up resulting in comic misunderstandings, awkward situations, and eventually in touching confessions of the lie that may get the character fired at first, but often have no lasting effects by the end of the show.

Unfortunately, while TV and movies draw from real life for ideas, the real work place has consequences for submitting false information on a job application. Most employers have clauses that allow them to fire a candidate from the company for submitting false information and, when applying for government jobs, it is actually illegal. However, it is understandable that so many people try to boost their resume, not just out of a desire to appear to advantage, but because the whole point of a resume is to “put your best foot forward.” It is an acceptable practice to word your resume carefully so that a candidate’s qualifications are maximized while their shortcomings are skated over. As this half truth is accepted it is not surprising that some people take it too far.

That being said, there are some ways that are commonly accepted for boosting your resume. For example, instead of lying about your salary, if you want a pay raise, list your “total compensation” not your salary. “Total compensation” includes salary, bonuses (both past and expected), perks, and stock options. This way you can negotiate with your potential employer for what you want. Of course, if you are unemployed, you have less leverage but you can still ask for vacation days or bonuses. Negotiating is perfectly acceptable as it shows you value yourself and are willing to take initiative.