Do tech professionals lie on their résumés? Our polling data suggests they are (usually) very honest.

Via Facebook, Dice conducted a straightforward poll to see if tech professionals lied on their résumés. The boolean poll shows us almost 80 percent of tech professionals are honest on their résumés... or claim to be.

The poll was anonymous, so there’s no reason to lie. We’ll say that, even with a generous margin of error to account for those who may have forgot to take their tinfoil hats off about Facebook and account tracking, the majority of tech professionals are honest folk.

To be honest (pun intended), there’s simply no reason to lie on a résumé. In this results-driven industry, your shortcomings will be found out quickly. It’s a reason the tech interview process is typically so lengthy; employers want to know you’ve got the skillset they’re looking for, and they're willing to subject you to all kinds of testing in order to do so.

As we’ve noted in the past, an honest, straightforward résumé is your best bet to actually land a gig. Hiring managers will quickly spot discrepancies. If one of the roles on your résumé was for “Project Manager” but the duties listed were akin to a developer, those reviewing your résumé will undoubtedly start to question what was going on. It’s entirely possible you were writing code while “leading” a project, but that doesn’t quite make you suitable for the position you’ve applied for.

Exaggerating is also unwelcome. You may sneak through the interview process with a few résumé "magnifications," but the end result will be a short stint at the firm once they discover your true skill level. It’s always better to just be open and honest about your skillset and experiences.

But all told, tech professionals are an honest bunch. If you're worried about your résumé, give it a polish to put your skills, experience, and background in the best possible light. Emphasize your results, as well as your unique mix of "soft skills" and technical knowledge. Of course you can land the gig!