The Top 3 Lies To Never Tell In a Job Interview

I know it's tempting, but it's never a good idea to lie on your resume or during an interview. You might not think that the hiring manager will ever find out, and maybe they won't, but you will still know, and the lie will cause you stress and worry that can do more damage to your chances than the lie would have prevented. Interviews are stressful enough without having to worry that they are going to call you on the lie.

When it comes to your job search, honesty is always the best policy. Of course, you don't have to tell them everything. There are plenty of things that you should wait until someone asks you before you talk about, but overall, it's important to stick to the facts.

Here are 3 of the most common lies you should never tell during an interview:

Don't lie about where you live - If the job you want is in a different city, state or even country, don't use a local address in hopes of making the company think that you are local. If they ask, be honest about where you live and explain that you are willing to relocate for the job. What's worse, if the company likes you and thinks that you are local, they may ask you to stop by on short notice or schedule a series of interviews. If they know that you live out of state, it won't hurt you as much as you'd think and since they are aware of your situation, they can plan interviews ahead of time and work with you to minimize the amount of time and money you spend going back and forth.

Don't lie about your previous salary - If you're applying for a job that is a step up from your previous job, or you didn't feel that you were being paid competitively at your last job, it's tempting to lie about your salary history. Don't do it. It's easy for an employer to find out what you were making at your last job and by catching you in a lie, they get proof that you are less than honest. It isn't worth it. If you are adamant about not sharing your previous salary, just say that you won't consider a position that pays less than $XX.

Don't lie about getting fired - When listing your previous work history, don't lie about getting fired. It's easy information to find out and having been fired isn't as damaging as you'd think. In the course of a career, almost everyone gets fired at one time or another. If you were fired because of a mistake or poor job performance, mention that you were let go and why (from the employer's point of view, not yours). Then, mention what you learned from it and how it makes you a better employee now.

Lying on your resume or during your interview is something that may seem harmless at the time, but it can come back to haunt you later. The best way to be a professional is to tell the truth and demonstrate how you can navigate sticky situations with ease and grace.