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Tom Byrne
Tom Byrne

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ANATOMY OF A FAKE RESUME

As a 3rd party IT recruiter I look at a lot resumes on a daily basis. Some are very well written, while others not so much and then there are the resume mill templates. You can usually tell these resumes as they all seem to use the same exact format. Almost 100% are IT (Information Technology) resumes listing only a First Name (as if they are Madonna, Elvis, Bono, etc.), no phone number, email address or location. Most are written by consulting firms employing or representing H1B or OPT consultants. They usually list large US companies as their employers (even though they are not employed by these companies) to attract the recruiters attention. Their roles, duties and responsibilities look very similar in almost all the projects listed.

Another red flag to look for is: having experience in a technology longer than it has existed.

Here's a lay out of the typical fake resume:

Summary:

6-8 years experience as a software engineer working with onshore and offshore teams. Blah, blah, blah...
Having good knowledge of (fill in the blank)
Expert in (fill in the blank)
Expert in ( )

Certifications:

Technical Skills: (often listing every technology known to mankind)

Professional Experience:

Company Name / Position Title January 2017 - Till date

Blah. blah, blah

Education:

Master of Computer Applications (M.C.A.) (note, no school name listed or year of graduation)

How to handle these resumes.

When I see these resumes, I delete them! Hiring Managers/Recruiters, don't waste your time with these people. Candidates should always list their first and last name, and at least one form of contact info (phone and/or email address) on their resume. Of course, doing this does not guarantee a real candidate but it is a good start. Check to see if they have a LinkedIn profile and if so does it look similar to their resume.

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