In job search, don't misrepresent yourself

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As Election Day draws closer, every word spoken by political candidates will be dissected by opponents, the media and voters. And many politicians have learned the hard way that uttering just one white lie or seemingly innocuous embellishment can be costly.The same holds true for job seekers.Simply put, never misrepresent the truth in your resume. You'll damage your professional reputation and knock yourself out of contention for a job if a hiring manager finds that you fudged facts about your credentials, work history or accomplishments.Consider these blatant fabrications: One real-life applicant made the bold claim that he was a Pulitzer Prize nominee who authored a book that sold an incredible 97 million copies. A quick Internet search proved that to be a lie. A recent graduate wrote that he was not only an academic scholar but also a Heisman Trophy finalist. Again, a few clicks of the mouse showed the statement to be false.Here's another example: COVER LETTER: "Last year I made a bazillion dollars for my company."Is that an exact figure? Similarly, it goes without saying that you should not direct hiring managers to fictional reference contacts. For instance: "REFERENCES: Call June at 555-1111 and John at 555-2222."We have a feeling June and John will be hard to reach."REFERENCES: Yoda."Han Solo must have been unavailable.Finally, remember that there is a very fine line between confidence and arrogance."REFERENCES: I have the greatest reference ever: Myself. I would hire me."Go right ahead.Max Messmer is chairman and CEO of Robert Half International, a specialized staffing firm, and author of Managing Your Career For Dummies(r) and Job Hunting For Dummies(r), 2nd Edition. His most recent book is Human Resources Kit For Dummies(r), 2nd Edition.????????1(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)