The objective statement is the line or two of pompous fluff that goes at the top of your resume. Your objective is obviously to get the job you are applying for so why do you need to create some flowery description? The answer is: you don’t. An objective is wasting time and space on your precious one page resume.

According to you, you are a smart, hard working individual with great team work and communication skills. That doesn’t mean an employer has to believe you. You can write anything you want about yourself and your work skills in your objective but employers aren’t buying it anymore.

The only time you should use an objective statement is if you are unsure of where to send your resume or if you are sending your resume to a company and don’t know the specific job openings. In that case you can put something vague like “To obtain a television production position at MTV”. Short and sweet. Before taking the time to write a paragraph long objective think if it is necessary or just a waste of space.

I know that every single one of us has had a little white lie on our resume before. Even if you glorified a job position or turned some words around in your favor, you are ultimately lying. And you know what happens to liars’ right? They always get caught.

Here are reasons why faking information on your resume is a big no-no:

1. It seems suspicious. Most HR professionals or hiring managers can sense when something looks skeptical on a resume. They can tell if something seems fabricated or exaggerated compared to your other job experience. It is easy to spot false information or embellishments which do not make sense in context with your work history on your resume.
2. They will find out in your interview. You can write as many lies as you want on your resume but when it is time for the interview you better be able to talk the talk. Interviewers will ask you about your skills, qualifications, and past job experience. If your answers don’t seem to match what is on the paper then you will not get the job. It’s that simple.
3. Lies will be discovered during background checks and reference checks. If you lied and the hiring manager calls a previous employer then you are done for. Your previous employers will tell it exactly how it is. If you didn’t put in much effort or were rude to co-workers they will be sure to say something to the hiring manager. If you tried to downplay a criminal history or traffic violation background checks will bring to light exactly what happened.
4. They will find out when you are hired. If you have been lucky enough to sail on through the interview process and reference checks with your lies then the truth will surely appear when you start working. It might take a few weeks or months for them to find you out, but if your performance does not match up to what you claimed you were capable of then it might be grounds for dismissal.

There really is no reason to lie or mislead employers on your resume. You need to be able to not only talk the talk but walk the walk with every piece of information that you present on your resume. Fix those slightly fabricated bits of information before they hurt you in the long run.

That degree from Harvard Law looks pretty impressive written down on your resume. Your brainiac skills are impressive but I’ve got news for you Poindexter, companies are looking for more than just smarts nowadays. Employers want to know that you have soft skills and that your team work and optimism are just as great as your brain power. It’s a tricky situation: you aren’t hired yet so how do you impress a hiring manager who can’t see if you really work well in a team? The answer is all in your resume.

Your resume should include a few key words that trigger the attention of the employer. It is easy for your resume to list education and job experience but listing soft skills can come across as a more powerful attention grabber. The first word all employers want to see is ‘teamwork’. More than ever projects are being tackled by teams in the workplace because many employers believe that collaboration increases the quality of work and the level of productivity. By saying that you are a team player you are telling the employer that you are a great listener and willing to help your co-workers.

Next, integrate the word ‘flexible’ into your resume. Employers eat this up. If you are willing to stay late for deadlines or put in the extra hours and make work your priority then you will climb the ranks at work in no time. Being able to do any task at any moment shows your commitment to your company. Another key word to utilize is ‘detail-oriented’. This tells employers that you are organized, meticulous about your work, and that you can work independently without having a boss supervise your every move.

Finally you need to use the word ‘self-motivated’ somewhere on your resume. Employers value people who are self-starters and who bring new and creative ideas to the table. Knowing that you can walk into the office every morning and start on a task without being assigned something is a great asset. A self-motivated person will work hard and go the extra mile if anyone needs help.

Next time you are updating your resume make sure you use key words that highlight your soft skills. If an employer is between two qualified candidates both possessing bachelors’ degrees how does he choose? Make the choice easy for him by showing that you are an optimistic self-starter with great team skills.