Let’s face it, resume embellishment (see yesterday’s post) is darn tempting.

You may even think you have no choice.  EVERYBODY does it, right?  So you have to do it, too, just to stay in the game.  It’s okay, you tell yourself.  Go ahead, employers expect it!

Right?

Wrong.  Oh, so wrong.  What employers (and human beings in general) long for is. . . . .goodness.

Yup.  People admire, value, and yearn for virtue.  In others.  And in themselves.

When you demonstrate virtue, you nourish this longing.  You serve as an example, which gives people hope, and encouragement to act likewise.

Virtue makes you thrilling and irresistible.  Men, women, children, dogs, and cats will want to be close to you.  To bask in the glow.  And people in positions of power will fall all over themselves looking for ways to promote or reward you. 

One of the most challenging acts you can ever attempt in your life is to live it honestly.  Honesty–goodness–is not easy.  It takes guts and discipline and effort.  People may laugh at you (to cover up their guilt and fear and unease and, yes, envy!).  Sometimes you’ll fail.  Or worry you’re being a chump.

But the benefits are huge. 

Anyway, is there any better way to spend your time on this planet?

So, there’s something to think about next time you’re tempted to goose that resume!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 at 2:04 pm and is filed under job hunting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.