Vincent E. Pacheco Blog: 30 jobs in the PR and marketing world

You can’t trust everything you read online—including LinkedIn profiles, apparently.

According to a recent survey from LendEDU, “34% of respondents lie to some degree on their LinkedIn profiles.” Of those admitting dishonesty, 11 percent confess, “My profile is almost entirely made up of things I have never done.”

On a positive note, 64 percent of those surveyed say they were completely honest when completing their profiles. Cold comfort, perhaps.

So, what are people lying about on their profiles?

The “Skills” section topped the list, with 55 percent of those surveyed saying this is the section they falsified. Following that were “The dates for my work experience,” “My work experience” and “Educational accomplishments.”

Why is it that so many are lying about their “Skills”?

From the survey:

There is no surefire way to verify that a candidate actually has the skills that he or she claims. Meanwhile, a simple phone call to prior companies or academic institutions will either expose a candidate as a liar or confirm his or her claims.

Though it might be tempting to embellish (or fabricate) your professional talents, don’t do it. Always practice honesty when applying for jobs. Employers can tell whether a candidate has the requisite skills for a given position.

If your LinkedIn profile and résumé are truthful and up to date and you have impeccable digital skills, Microsoft is looking for a marketing communications manager at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

The marketing communications manager will use web, social media, email, and owned and paid media for generating leads to attend Microsoft events.

Interested candidates must be able to work under deadlines and must have a minimum of two years of experience in B2B or consumer experiential marketing.