May Copying a Resume Cost You a Career?
Does the idea that one can plagiarize a resume sound possible? What if a resume sounds exactly the same as a job description? Actually, at first it seems that there is nothing easier than to compose a resume. After all, this is just a list of facts about you and who can tell about yourself better than you? Still, a lot of candidates do not bother about ethical principles and they prefer copying the sentences they like instead of thinking over every phrase in an attempt to impress the potential employers. They simply forget that a resume is a marketing tool that helps applicants get the points in the selection process. What is more, the entire career can get ruined either with incidental plagiarism or that on purpose. Mind that while working on your CV and resume.
Is Resume Plagiarism Ethical?
Why do people consider the option of copying a resume? Is writing it from scratch so much complicated that it is worth paying a lot of money to a specialist with years of experience and insight into this special skill? If your answer is negative but you still believe that some external support would be useful in writing a resume, you definitely start looking for various samples online. You do know that it is possible to find a template for a resume in all kinds of professions. Whatever industry you have chosen as your cherished dream, there are multiple samples for the job-seekers and applicants for positions.
How does one use a sample of the resume online?
- Looking through the text, one can study the general rules of formatting and structuring of resumes top apply this knowledge in an original CV of one’s own. Thus, a sample gives a clue of what one should do to get an effective resume.
- Reading through the sample resumes, one may get inspired but go further than that. It is a common practice to steal several sentences here and there and copy them without any permission to do so. As a result, one receives a standardized paragraph or two in the resume and the chances to get hired or promoted become much lower.
Can You Plagiarize a Resume and Succeed?
The answer is very simple and short: No, you can’t! You need to learn the reasons why you should not copy passages from the resumes of other people or from online resources. Here you are:
- You will not be able to look different from others
Resumes copy always resembles a template everyone follows. Piles of applications which rarely have any distinctive features bore the employers and academic committee members. Generic descriptions say nothing about a particular specialist and they make your resume look weak and ineffective.
- No one will understand what your genuine value is if the text is copied.
You do have unique background, skills, abilities, experience, knowledge, and attitude. What happens when you copy somebody’s description instead of analyzing your own strengths? For sure, you lose your chance to stand apart from the others. No doubt, you have to spend a lot of time on collecting your thoughts and presenting your individual achievements. Nevertheless, other candidates with similar traits of character, talents, and qualifications will look different from you.
- It is unethical to copy something that does not belong to you.
If borrowing an essay from an online database is a crime, so why should it be different with a resume? Your writing of any kind is supposed to be plagiarism-free. In fact, it is not a matter for any further discussions.
- A resume plagiarism checker can ruin all your ambitious plans.
Your potential employer may get to know about your cheating and that will not add you any points in the competitive struggle for a position. Stealing ideas and using samples instead of exerting effort to impress the employer look mean and not persuasive. Even a person with minor experience of hiring and checking on resumes of the applicants will notice copied parts. In some cases, they even check all the documents given by the applicant for plagiarism with the help of some effective tool, for instance Plagiarismsearch.com to be sure that the message sent by the applicant is authentic. No school or company is interested in the people who want to start cooperation with a lie.
Don’ts to Avoid Resume Copying: Effective Tips
- No direct use of samples
You should understand that templates and sample may serve as a great support and source of inspiration for you. Nevertheless, getting an idea about the structure, arrangement of ideas, word choice, and format of the resume, you should not copy the entire passages or sections.
- No generic information
Clichés never add any value. Instead, they do not let the potential employers get specific details about your actual accomplishments, skills, mindset, and attitude.
- No stealing
If you notice a copyright on any information online, you should not use it without actual permission to do so.
- No pre-written templates
There are a lot of websites which offer assistance to beginners in writing. You should understand that although it is convenient to use a builder of resumes online, your resume will not be unique provided that you use it.
- Be careful with the use of any materials
Before taking any template or piece of information on the internet, ask yourself how many people could have already used it before. It might happen that other job-seekers use the same templates and you will be just one of many instead of the best option for the employers.
Do recruiters always check the applicants’ resumes for plagiarism? Not really! With huge amounts of work they do daily, they cannot review all documents with the precision and care they require. Nevertheless, some corporations use plagiarism tracking systems to be sure that the candidate details are authentic and the attitude of a potential employee is proper. Note that honesty builds a foundation for successful employment. False facts and fancy information instead of a well-structured presentation of your background lead to nowhere. You will achieve what you want of you follow one simple rule: Be honest! Don’t plagiarize!
