A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 96% of HR professionals always conduct reference checks on job candidates, and more than half say they sometimes find inconsistencies. Actually you should make your resume in such way that can be reliable by your potential employers. According to the survey, the most common misleading statements put on CSV's are: • Exaggerated titles • Incorrect dates to cover up job frequent changes of job or gaps in employment • Half-finished degrees, inflated education or "purchased" degrees that do not mean anything • Exaggerated salaries • Overstated accomplishments • Out and out lies in regards to specific roles and duties But it is actually not lying to change your job title from Senior Project Leader to Senior Technology Manager on your resume to reflect your responsibilities. The crucial line between marketing and lying on a resume is not always clearly drawn. Go for these tips for those wondering how much exaggeration on your resume is too much: • Do not change your dates of employment. If you were a contract person recruited full time after a period of time in the job say so on your resume. You can also mention you did contract or consulting work after leaving the company's regular payroll. But the dates must match your actual employment dates. • If your company used odd job titles, you can use an equivalent title that most people would recognize. However this does not mean it is acceptable to increase your job title to imply you had more responsibility that you actually did. For example, you cannot turn yourself from an Assistant Manager to a Manager. • Do not mess around with academic qualifications. If you did not quite pass the final year of a degree course, say so on the resume. A professional development course at a university is not the same thing as an actual academic course, so should not be treated as such. And you cannot change your degree from. • Stick with the most recent and relevant experience. You do not need to list every job you have had in your whole life. You can leave out irrelevant jobs. • Do not get away with lying if your company went under.