Yahoos CEO Shouldnt Lie on His Resume and Neither Should You

Yahoos CEO Shouldnt Lie on His Resume and Neither Should You Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson resigned yesterday after it was discovered that he misrepresented his academic credentials. Thompson claimed to have a degree in computer science but he only holds a degree in accounting.Thompsons certainly not the first person to lie on a resume. Many other high-profile executives, politicians, and sports and entertainment figures have bent the truth on their resumes only to have the situation backfire, yet the practice continues.While no one ever has a good reason to lie on a resume, Thompsons case strikes me as a great example of a bad reason to lie on your resume. He is obviously an accomplished executive who held significant technology roles at PayPal, Visa, Barclays and other well-know companies prior to coming to Yahoo. His achievements were many. What was the point of pretending to have a technology-specific degree from 25+ years back? Can you imagine rejecting a candidate with so much relevant experience because he earned his degree in a different fi eld over 3 decades ago?Thompsons situation is unfortunate, but maybe it is a good reminder to all that a resume is an opportunity to prove your value and relevance to a prospective organization. Employers are most interested in what you have done lately that can help their organization move forward. If you are a job seeker with several years of experience under your belt, where you went to school and what you studied are rarely deal breakers.