Why You Should Lie on Your Résumé (Strategically)!

Stop shrinking your story, it’s not modesty, it’s missed opportunity.

When I say lie on your résumé, I don’t mean invent a fake degree or create a job that never existed. I mean stop shrinking your story to make hiring managers comfortable. Because here’s the truth no one wants to admit, corporate job descriptions are inflated. They’re written by committees who have no idea what the job actually requires. So, if they’re gonna exaggerate? You better rise to the occasion, sweetheart.

The corporate double standard

Employers lie all the time.

They promise “work-life balance” and give you burnout.
They advertise “inclusive culture” and still have no women of color on the leadership team.
They brag about “unlimited PTO” but side-eye you for taking a long weekend.

So please spare me the moral outrage when a candidate upgrades “helped with projects” to “led cross-functional initiatives.”
That’s not lying.
That’s leveling the playing field.

Don’t lie about what can get you caught

Let’s be clear, there are rules to this game.

❌ Don’t lie about:

• Degrees you don’t have

• Companies you never worked for

• Titles you can’t defend in an interview

• Skills you can’t back up when they hand you a test

That’s not strategy, that’s sabotage.
Because if you can’t explain it confidently, it’s not your story to tell.

But do lie strategically (aka rebrand the truth)

This is where the Corporate Cheat Code kicks in.

✅ Do “lie” about (translation: elevate your language):

• “Assisted” → Led and executed

• “Supported” → Owned and delivered

• “Worked on a team” → Drove results across teams

• “Helped with strategy” → Built the framework and implemented it

• “Handled admin tasks” → Managed operations and optimized workflows

You’re not lying.
You’re telling the accurate version of your impact.

The one that reflects your growth, ownership, and leadership, not the one that downplays your brilliance because your manager didn’t update your title.

The CPO’s confession

I’ve reviewed thousands of résumés.
And I can promise you:
The people who “stretch the truth” the best often perform the best, too.

Because they already think like leaders.
They understand positioning.
They speak with confidence.
And they know how to connect the dots between what they’ve done and what the business needs next.

Confidence gets hired before competence is even confirmed.

The résumé isn’t a legal document, it’s marketing

A résumé is a sales brochure, not a sworn affidavit.
It’s designed to get you in the room, not to be historically perfect.

You’re not under oath.
You’re under evaluation.

And the people evaluating you?
They’re making split-second judgments based on phrasing, formatting, and keywords. So, if your résumé undersells your story, they’ll never even know what they’re missing.

Translation, not deception

If you were the go-to person in your office — the one fixing everyone’s mess, training new hires, or reworking broken processes — then guess what?

You weren’t “helping.”
You were managing, mentoring, and optimizing operations.
You just didn’t have the title to match.

That’s the real deception — companies under-titling people to save on compensation, then clutching their pearls when you market your experience accurately.

The real goal: tell the story like it deserves to be told

This isn’t about faking.
It’s about framing.

Because if you don’t tell your story powerfully, no one else will.

Stop calling your brilliance “helping.”
Stop apologizing for ambition.
Stop writing your résumé like you’re grateful to exist.

You earned those results.
You built those systems.
You made that impact.

So write it like it.what?

You weren’t “helping.”
You were managing, mentoring, and optimizing operations.
You just didn’t have the title to match.

That’s the real deception — companies under-titling people to save on compensation, then clutching their pearls when you market your experience accurately.

TL;DR

Corporate America will sell you a dream and then question your résumé for daring to dream too big.

You’re not lying, you’re matching energy.

✨ Play the game but play it better.

✨ Because no one gets promoted for being humble on paper.

✨ Tell the version of your story that reflects your truth, your growth, and your impact.