Lying on Resumes – Honesty vs. Framing

Lying on a resume is a big no. But here’s the thing: literal honesty can be just as damaging. Let’s talk about the fine line between outright fabrications and smartly showcasing your experience because if you’re not stretching it a little, you might be underselling yourself.

The Interview That Could’ve Been

You’re sitting in an interview for a high-paying financial controller role, one that’s a perfect next step for your career. You’ve got a decade of diverse finance leadership experience under your belt, yet you’re asked a pointed question:

“Have you ever run a tax team or a treasury team?”

Your literal answer? “No.”

Honesty vs. Relevance: Where You Missed the Mark

The truth is, you had the experience to show you were capable of stepping into those roles. Your work at EY managing tax compliance for EMEA entities and your current role managing cash flows and liquidity due diligence scream “relevant experience.” But instead of framing this expertise in a way that met the question head-on, you defaulted to a flat “no.”

It wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the right way to answer. Meanwhile, someone with less experience than you breezed through the same interview.

Resumes (and Interviews) Are a Performance, Not a Deposition

Recruiters and hiring managers aren’t looking for a laundry list of everything you haven’t done. They’re looking for reasons to say “yes.” Your job in an interview isn’t to undersell yourself with technicalities but to frame your experience in a way that answers the spirit of the question:

“No, I haven’t officially led a tax or treasury team, but here’s how my experience prepares me to take on that challenge. At EY, I managed tax compliance for 27 EMEA entities during liquidation by coordinating tasks across jurisdictions and working with diverse teams to meet tight deadlines.”

In your resume, write that as a bullet point:

“Managed tax compliance for 27 EMEA entities during liquidation by coordinating tasks across jurisdictions and working with diverse teams to meet tight deadlines.”

With that approach, you highlight what you bring to the table instead of disqualifying yourself prematurely.

“Framing” Isn’t Lying

Let’s be clear: there’s a huge difference between lying and framing.

• Lying: Claiming you managed a treasury team when you didn’t.
• Framing: Connecting your experience with cash flow management and liquidity to treasury leadership responsibilities.

By framing, you’re not inventing facts. You’re translating your experience into the language the recruiter or interviewer understands. You’re demonstrating that you’re already halfway there.

Why Literal Honesty Holds You Back

The professional world rewards confidence and adaptability. Here’s why being overly literal doesn’t help:

• You limit yourself. You’re giving an incomplete picture of what you can do.
• It creates unnecessary doubts. Recruiters don’t need to hear what you haven’t done—they need to hear why you can excel.
• It puts the burden on the interviewer. Instead of connecting the dots for them, you’re leaving gaps they might not fill.

So, the next time you’re asked a question like “Have you ever led a team in X?” don’t just answer yes or no. Build a bridge from your experience to the role. Say:

“Not officially, but here’s how my background has prepared me for that.”

It’s not a lie. It’s smart, strategic storytelling.

TL;DR

Literal honesty might feel like the “right” approach, but if it stops you from landing your dream job, it’s time to rethink your strategy. After all, your career success isn’t just about what you’ve done. It’s about how well you can show you’re ready to do what’s next.