Your resume is a reflection of who you are and what you write on your resume matters. You want to be sure to highlight your qualifications, accomplishments, education and professional effectively without losing yourself or over exaggerating.

80% of all resumes are misleading. This is an alarmingly high rate and can only hurt you if you’re caught in an unnecessary embellishment. In addition to embarrassment you should keep your resume honest for the sake of background employment checks. More and more companies issue background checks as part of their hiring process. Inaccuracies caught by a background check company can cost you your potential new job. It is a reflection of your character.

Here are some guidelines to follow when writing your resume.

  1. List your exact title under professional experience.
  2. When it doubt, do not guess.
  3. Do not cover up your employment gap.
  4. Be honest about your accomplishments.
  5. Revise your resume until you feel comfortable that all the information included is truthful and will not raise any red flags.

If you make it past these steps and begin a job a dishonest resume can still come back to haunt you, especially with regards to technical or specialized skills. Simply having experience with a software program doesn’t mean your proficient in it, and claiming to be so could cause employers to have different expectations of your skills.

Just remember to have confidence in the resume you have and be honest and truthful.