<\/strong>The practice lives in an ethical gray area, and while it\u2019s not as bad as fabricating a degree or inventing a job title, \u201cit\u2019s not entirely above board either,\u201d Chan explains.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe reality is, today\u2019s job seekers are desperate. Layoffs just keep coming, which means more competition for scarcer roles. Even getting your application past an applicant tracking system (ATS) or the AI tools that recruiters are increasingly using means a human may well never even lay eyes on someone\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n
\u201cListing a skill they’re close to having starts to feel like the only way to even get a foot in the door,\u201d Chan says.<\/p>\n
In a way, the trend makes sense, as learning a new skill is easier than ever, thanks to the abundance of online resources. And speed and a forward-thinking attitude may well be rewarded, if not outright necessary, in the age of AI. The technology has accelerated how fast job requirements change. Skills absent from job descriptions two years ago are now mandatory, leaving many applicants scrambling to figure out how to convey a degree of AI fluency on their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Besides that, most applicants have already known for years that unless their r\u00e9sum\u00e9 contains certain keywords, an ATS may filter it out before it reaches a hiring manager\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost people doing this aren’t trying to mislead employers. They’re trying to get a fair shot in a process that feels increasingly stacked against them,\u201d Chan says. \u201cThe fact that 44% of Gen Z have already done this tells you how much pressure they\u2019re feeling as a generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weighing the risks<\/h2>\n
Of course, like any degree of fibbing, the practice comes with risks. Chan says that \u201cwhere it gets risky is when the timing works against you and the role demands that skill before you’ve had a real chance to develop it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sometimes, the hiring process moves fast, and if you’re hired partly based on a skill you can’t actually perform yet, there\u2019s a real risk in starting the role without that expertise. And managers will notice that quickly. \u201cEarly impressions in a new job are hard to recover from,\u201d Chan says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBlatantly lying on your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is about covering something up, while skills manifesting is forward-looking,\u201d she continues. \u201cBy including a skill that can be picked up relatively quickly, candidates are signaling where they’re headed rather than hiding where they’ve been.\u201d<\/p>\n
The safer approach, she says, is to list the skill alongside visible proof that you’re actively working toward it\u2014such as a course in progress, a certification you’re pursuing, or a project you’re building. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat reframes it from a potential dishonesty into a transparent declaration of intent. Without that backup, you’re just hoping no one calls your bluff,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe distinction is fairly simple: If you can speak to the skill with clarity and context, it builds credibility. If you\u2019re relying on \u2018figuring it out later,\u2019 it starts to cross into misrepresentation,\u201d says Jill Chapman, director of early talent programs at HR tech provider Insperity.<\/p>\n
Beyond just embarrassment, you’re risking your reputation, your relationship with your manager, and in some cases, your job and future potential connections, as word can get around in your industry, Chan says. And most notable skills gaps would surface quickly, especially in technical roles where skills are easy to test in real time, says Michelle Reisdorf, a district director with the HR consulting firm Robert Half.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf that happens, it can erode trust with the team and, in some cases, lead to a short tenure if the role was heavily based on skills the person didn\u2019t actually have,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Sign of the times<\/h2>\n
Skills manifesting shouldn\u2019t be a surprise. Job requirements have expanded, and economic pressure, especially for early-career talent, has made the process feel more competitive and, at times, arbitrary, Chapman points out. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen expectations feel unclear or unattainable, candidates adjust how they present themselves. There\u2019s also a role for employers to play,\u201d she outlines. \u201cWhen job descriptions are overly aspirational, it can unintentionally encourage this behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n
Candidates can absolutely highlight skills in progress, but the level of proficiency should be clear, insists Chapman. For example, coursework or small projects signal exposure, while hands-on experience reflects deeper capability. <\/p>\n
\u201cMany hiring managers don\u2019t expect candidates to meet every single requirement and often look just as much for potential and a clear commitment to growth, which is why transparency about skills helps build trust and keeps the process moving,\u201d Reisdorf says.<\/p>\n
Simple distinctions matter. For example, \u201clearning SQL [Structured Query Language]\u201d signals progress, \u201cfamiliar with Jira\u201d suggests exposure, and \u201cproficient in Excel\u201d implies consistent, real-world use. The key is that the skill level matches reality, Chapman says.<\/p>\n
Being direct about your current capabilities and areas of growth creates a stronger foundation for long-term success. <\/p>\n
Chapman says some of the strongest candidates can confidently state, \u201cI haven\u2019t done this yet. But here\u2019s how I\u2019d get there.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Many people, Gen Zers in particular, have embraced the practice of \u201cmanifesting\u201d: essentially, believing that positive thoughts lead to positive things happening in life. Now, it seems some job seekers are applying the same principle to their CVs\u2014listing skills that they may not have right now but they plan to \u201cmanifest\u201d later. A Resume Genius<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brand-spotlights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13988\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}