With the state of the job market these days, many realize it's close to impossible to find a job with their current qualifications. Think about it: how is it that every junior role out there demands 5 years of experience? How are people expected to find jobs when the demands keep getting harder and harder to reach?
It has become standard practice to lie or polish your resume to fit whatever impossible qualifications hiring managers demand. However, if you decide to try it yourself, know that it isn't without risks. First, some lies are easy to verify, especially when it comes to past experience or education. There are enough workplaces out there that are willing to do the background check in order to ensure they aren't being lied to, and if someone gets caught in this lie, well, the conversation that follows is not something I would ever want to be a part of.
Second, even if you aren't caught, when you choose to lie on your resume and then get a job because of that lie, you will then need to keep lying for your entire employment. If the lie is about a couple of months you added to your previous job, there's nothing to really worry about, but anything more than that will feel like a huge burden to carry. At the end of the day, is it really worth it?
Lastly, the job candidate in the story below proves that not getting a job can be a better outcome than getting one and then having to admit you lied in the hiring process. Coming clean is never easy, and in this case, it could seriously damage the candidate's career.