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Published in: Pioneer Press By Julie Forster
Tapping area experts for insight on workplace issues
Q: My last job title was customer service agent. I'm applying for a finance job at a different company. Many of my responsibilities in my last job were in accounting and finance. Is it OK to change my title on my resume to "finance manager" to more accurately reflect my job?
A: Don't do it. Just explain the responsibilities on your cover letter or resume. Employers often hire outside companies to verify everything you've put on your resume. They'll call your former employers and inquire about your job title. It won't sound good for them to hear back from one of them, no, she wasn't a finance manager, she was a customer service agent.
Even if you have a chance to explain the discrepancy, employers may still be left wondering, "If you took a liberty here, where else did you take a liberty?" said Rick Fox, managing partner with PrincetonOne, a recruiting company based in Edina.
Greg Mohn, chief executive of Orange Tree Employment Screening in Edina, said his company would note that discrepancy on the report it sends to the prospective employer. For two job candidates with similar skills and experience, what's found in a screen could make the difference. In some cases, companies scrutinize every variance. A discrepancy "could be an indicator of someone's ethics and character," Mohn said.
— Julie Forster
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Working Q&A: Should I fudge a job title on my resume to reflect my true duties?
September 10, 2009
Published in: Pioneer Press By Julie Forster
Tapping area experts for insight on workplace issues
Q: My last job title was customer service agent. I'm applying for a finance job at a different company. Many of my responsibilities in my last job were in accounting and finance. Is it OK to change my title on my resume to "finance manager" to more accurately reflect my job?
A: Don't do it. Just explain the responsibilities on your cover letter or resume. Employers often hire outside companies to verify everything you've put on your resume. They'll call your former employers and inquire about your job title. It won't sound good for them to hear back from one of them, no, she wasn't a finance manager, she was a customer service agent.
Even if you have a chance to explain the discrepancy, employers may still be left wondering, "If you took a liberty here, where else did you take a liberty?" said Rick Fox, managing partner with PrincetonOne, a recruiting company based in Edina.
Greg Mohn, chief executive of Orange Tree Employment Screening in Edina, said his company would note that discrepancy on the report it sends to the prospective employer. For two job candidates with similar skills and experience, what's found in a screen could make the difference. In some cases, companies scrutinize every variance. A discrepancy "could be an indicator of someone's ethics and character," Mohn said.
— Julie Forster
Executive Search | Recruitment Process Outsourcing | Contract Staffing | College Recruiting | Site Map
This site is optimized for 1024x768 resolution and Internet Explorer.
Copyright © 2010 PrincetonOne