Honesty is the best policy!

Job seeking is a trying experience at the best of times.  An important piece of advice to candidates is to be honest throughout the process.  Any embellishment, or flat out lies, will be uncovered at some point so it is vital that this honesty comes from the outset.  There shouldn’t be ‘nasty surprises’ lying in wait for any of the parties involved.

Timeline entries on a CV are key pieces of information that recruiters and employers will be drawn towards.  If there are gaps that span months, or even years, these will undoubtedly be questioned so it’s best to get ahead of the game and address them within your CV.  You don’t have to overshare and go into minute detail, but be prepared to note down if you were doing temp work or if there was an external factor that prevented you from holding down a permanent position at that point in your career.

I’ve had case scenarios recently where candidates have let’s say over-exaggerated about their skillset – and I’m not saying just a little bit.  This becomes particularly embarrassing for everyone concerned during the interview process when the truth about their experience and knowledge becomes abundantly clear.

This is not just restricted to candidates either and should apply to recruiters and their clients.  The more open and honest we all are at every given stage the better the overall service and relationship will be in the long run.

So, don’t be like fake Santa from Elf and sit on a throne of lies.  Just be upfront from the get-go!