False start

Don't give into the temptation to lie on your resume and cover letter - the possible consequences are not worth the risk. "There's a tendency, of course, to embellish, but it's one thing to embellish and another to flat-out lie," says Deborah Herman, South Florida-area regional manager Nationwide Advertising Service, a company that helps other companies place recruitment advertisements. "A lot of companies are doing background checks. Don't waste the employer's time by lying - that's what we are hearing from our clients."

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