Jobseekers are taking a leaf out of politicians’ books by “spinning” their CVs, according to new research.
A survey of 500 workers, by recruitment firm Jobs@Pertemps, reveals that one in four admitted “massaging” job applications to make them appear more suited to the post, while some told lies.
Most of those questioned said they had tried to make previous jobs sound more important by adding terms such as “executive” or “consultant”.
One part-time sales assistant described her job as “global sales and distribution executive”.
Another trick was to inflate salaries, with some claiming to earn £10,000 more than their actual pay.
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“Our findings revealed how creative and devious applicants can be when composing their CVs,” said Jan Para, a director of Jobs@Pertemps.
“Most employers can spot a CV spinner a mile off, and they will inevitably come unstuck at interview when they are quizzed about their past.”
