An inside look at the advantages and risks of allowing recruitment agencies to alter your resume content.
You've spent countless hours (and maybe even thousands of dollars) to develop an authentic and compelling resume. You feel proud and confident sending the document to your connection at an executive search firm.
It works! The recruiter calls to inform you that the company wants to schedule an interview. You are thrilled and dive deep into company research and interview preparation.
At the interview, things seem to be going well when suddenly the interviewer asks you about a skill that you've listed in your resume... except you know you DIDN'T list that skill because you don't HAVE that skill. The interviewer insists that the qualification is in your document and shows you their copy. You realize that the agency altered your resume before sending it on to the company.
“Unscrupulous agencies will add things to a resume that make you a better match, but may not reflect reality, like adding skills you don’t actually possess. ”
Unfortunately, situations like this can land job seekers in a mess of trouble. If the organization believes YOU were the deceptive one, you could be rejected, could lose your job (if you've already been hired), or could be blacklisted from future consideration. The Recruiter could claim they ran all changes by you. How do you prove they didn't?
Before we step into recommendations, let's gain some understanding about when, why, and how resume altering happens.
The Agency Perspective
It's common for recruiting agencies to operate under a Contingency Pricing Model. This means the firm gets paid a percentage of salary or a fixed fee once their candidate is selected and hired. If the employer finds a candidate on their own, the agency could be out hundreds of hours of unpaid work. Understandably, agencies want to ensure they get credit for any candidates they've sourced.
This payment issue has led to a practice of "blinding" resumes. Agencies will remove the candidate's contact information and replace it with their own to ensure the employer can't contact the individual directly.
External recruiters have also realized that they can elevate the chances of a candidate's selection by "improving" their resume. This sometimes looks like adding in a few missing keywords or clarifying a title. In more extreme cases, it's a complete revision of the file.
“My team and I never change a resume without permission. There have been MANY times when the candidate is amazing, but the resume is terrible. In those instances, we talk to the candidate and make suggestions and edits to improve their chances of getting an interview. It is too risky and IMHO inappropriate to change a resume without consent. ”
Ethical Recruiters ask for permission before making these changes. More nefarious Recruiters don't tell candidates, and some even embellish skills and experience to ensure their candidate is interviewed.
The Inside Recruiter Perspective
Internal recruiters (those who are directly employed by the company) typically don't alter resumes because they get paid no matter who gets hired. They want to present applicants to a hiring manager exactly as they represented themselves. They also recognize that certain insights can be gleaned from an unaltered resume, including characteristics like humility, attention to detail, written communication skills, and more.
“My goal has always been to set individuals up for employment success. If strong written communication skills, for example, will be critical to their role performance, it benefits everyone involved to evaluate for this early on (in the submitted resume and/or cover letter).”
The Career Coach Perspective
Career coaches and resume writers take great care in determining and articulating your professional value points and career dynamics. They will almost always advise against allowing a recruiter to alter your resume, beyond adding their firm's contact information.
“Those who spend the time to cultivate a strong branding statement, customized target title, break down EQ with self-awareness, highlight values to attract organizations with similar priorities, then craft success stories and rank accomplishments with care may find themselves at a loss if a search firm cuts the summary and key accomplishment sections to place the experience section first. This common tactic robs candidates of what makes them most compelling.”
If asked, should you give permission to alter your resume?
As with most aspects of job search, it depends. Each job seeker's situation will vary and some firms are more trustworthy than others. Below are some general benefits and risks to consider.
Pros
“(Resume altering) allows for more placements... because (clients are then) ready to market.”
Expedited placement not only helps agencies, it also helps job seekers to land faster and shorten costly unemployment stints.
“Search firms may have an inside scoop into hiring priorities and (employer) pet peeves... If a search firm knows of practices that could impact your candidacy, they can quickly take measures to make your resume more likely to attract positive attention.”
When an agency has repeated engagements with a company, they gain helpful insights like hiring manager preferences and organizational culture. They may also have a real-time, industry-wide perspective that can be leveraged to provide competitive advantage over other candidates.
Cons
“The resume may be considered a legal document if submitted with an application.”
“Lying on a resume is generally not illegal in the US, but it can have significant consequences. If a third-party alters your credentials and you are hired on false pretenses, you could be dismissed by the company.”
“(I know of an employee being) fired because the background check didn’t line up with the resume on-file due to (a recruiter’s changes).”
A rejection or termination based upon perceived deception could follow you throughout your career and may destroy your professional reputation.
Key Takeaways
It's a good idea to clarify your expectations when submitting a resume to a recruiting agency. Whether you are comfortable with alterations or not, be sure to state this in your email.
“When I was in job search, recruiters would ask me to change my resumes to highlight different things. They’d then show the resume and confirm it with me... What I wouldn’t ever allow is an offshore recruiter to change it for me without my permission.”
Consider taking the Recruiter's suggestions and making the changes yourself. This ensures accuracy and control over the final document.
“Personally, I don’t have the time to rewrite applicant resumes. I have offered recommendations (for improvement)... If a candidate cares, they will put forth the time and effort to make these changes... (Doing so) shows drive and commitment. ”
If you allow the firm to make changes, ask for the opportunity to review them PRIOR to the recruiter submitting the document.
By reviewing changes ahead of submission, you can fix any errors (before the hiring manager sees the resume) and will have a copy for your records. Documentation can be critical if you wind up needing to prove you weren't the deceptive party.
The only firms who should take issue with these kinds of requests are those that wish to maintain unethical practices. A quality firm will understand your reasons for retaining resume control and appreciate your risk mitigation steps.