My sister, Nancy, doesn't read books — she devours them! It's nothing for her to read two or three books a week, and that's while working a very full-time job.

Her reading preferences are contemporary American literature, lots of biographies, current non-fiction and 18th century English writers. And, in between all of this, she always has a mystery story on hand to work those "little grey cells."

Nancy has read so many mystery stories over her lifetime (starting with Nancy Drew) that many times she'll know "who done it" half-way through the book!

I haven't read as many books as Nancy, but I sure have read more resumes than she ever will. And now, like Nancy, I am as adept at getting to the truth in a resume as she is at getting to the truth in a murder!

Little White Lies

Many resumes are filled with the stuff of a good murder mystery — lies big and small.

Here are the three most common things people lie about when writing a resume (and what to do about them):

• Education. When interviewing the candidate for the first time (phone or in-person), simply state that the first step in the hiring process is to verify education. Ask for confirmation of the year of graduation for all degrees held. (It's amazing how many candidates will list an MBA or similar graduate degree when they are really "in the process" of getting one.) Asking for these dates and indicating you will be calling a Registrar's Office will usually weed out the truth about that degree.
• Length of Time of Employment. Ask the candidate for specific dates of when they started and ended their employment. For example, an entry that states 2004–2005 could mean they started on December 15, 2004 and were terminated on January 5, 2005. This would mean three weeks of employment! Conversely, that same date range could mean a start of January 1, 2004 and end of December 31, 2005 — that's two years of employment. Very different picture indeed. Make sure you get those exact dates. Miss Marple would!
• Why They Left Their Past Employers. It can be tricky, but not impossible, to get at the truth of why someone left their past employers. Sometimes, even good candidates feel they have to hide the truth — rightly or wrongly. That being said, if you feel like you're getting a "story" when you ask the question, here's the "killer" question:

  "Do you have a reference from this company?"

  Framed this way, it begs a "yes or no" answer that should elicit the true story of why they left. There may be legitimate reasons for a candidate leaving a company and having no references (you'll have to be the judge), so sit back and listen carefully to the answer. And don't be afraid to keep digging if you don't like what you are hearing. That's the hallmark of a true sleuth! Only be satisfied when you get to the bottom of it.

You know, maybe sister Nancy can come up with a mystery where the clue to the crime is hiding in a resume… that would be a neat twist!

We're so very happy to introduce Debbie Ward to you. Debbie has joined us as a Senior Recruiter and has proceeded to jump in with both feet! Debbie comes from a sales and marketing technology background with a special emphasis on lead generation programs. Her skills are perfect for our profession and for our clients. Make sure you say hello the next time you call.

We had fun answering the phone after our last newsletter posed the question of who was the group that sang "TIGHTEN UP."

Melanie Dukas correctly named Archie Bell and the Drells. And although she couldn't hum the "Marseillaise," I did have a few callers who did — not to mention my Francophile buddy, Julie Scofield! Thanks to the many of you who took the time to call in.