Your résumé says a lot about you. It’s not just a single sheet of paper highlighting your career experiences and accomplishments, it’s often the first impression employers have of you during the hiring process. In other words, it could be your ticket to landing a career-changing role.

So whether you’re just getting started in your career search and are busy navigating job boards to find that near perfect fit, or are a seasoned professional who is fluent with interview best practices, we asked our ForceBrands recruiters to go beyond commonly seen résumé mistakes and instead reveal some of the biggest untruths they’ve seen so you can avoid making the same errors.

Read on to learn more about what not to do as you craft your résumé and remember, honesty is always the best policy.

1. “I’m still working here”
A lot of people will say they’re still working at their company when they’re not. While it may be uncomfortable to talk about why you’re no longer at said company, it’s best to be honest, because you never know if we will contact your ‘current employer’ for references.

2. Job Title/Employment Status
A lot of people will overstate the importance of their role. One recruiter interviewed someone who was a Sales Director on their résumé but their actual role was a Sales Representative. Some people will also claim to be full-time when they’re consulting. Again, proof your résumé for accuracy.

3. “I’m fluent in Japanese”
Everyone loves to see unique skills that make one candidate stand out among the others. One recruiter was impressed to learn that this one candidate was fluent in more than five languages so when they asked them to share some phrases in Japanese, simply because they were curious, they admitted that they did now know the language. It immediately raised red flags and made the recruiter question the accuracy of their résumé.

4. Incorrect College Degrees
One recruiter recalled a candidate who noted on their résumé that they had graduated with a master’s degree when it was an undergraduate degree instead. Don’t forget, transcripts can be easily tracked.

5. The Novel
A résumé should be one page, regardless of how extensive your work history may be. Avoid making your résumé multiple pages. Keep your experiences succinct and speak to them in great detail instead.

Is your résumé updated yet? Search our job board or speak to one of our Executive Recruiters today to find the role that’s right for you.