Let's just face it: the job market can be a very tough place to compete in. In order to survive in today's job market, people often resort to artificially "inflating" their resumes with little "white lies". Chances are, you're also thinking of doing the same.

Well, as tempting as it may be, you do NOT want to risk lying on your resume.

Whether it's personal information, job experience, or schooling - employers are finding new ways to sniff out liars and you don't want to be one of them.

Job Experience - Clearly this is not the place to boast about fake employment as you are going to list the businesses you worked for which may be contacted for verification. As this is the most likely area your interviewer will do a check on, avoid misrepresenting yourself at all costs.

Education - Think that nobody will notice if you slip in an education you don't really have? Perhaps you do have the skills, but you can't afford to claim education you can't provide proof of. There are new services that will allow employers to have background checks - similar to criminal or credit checks - to verify your claim.

Personal Information - While some information may not be easily verified, information such as a criminal record, can be very costly to you in the event it is checked out. You can never guarantee that an employer won't be able to find the information, even if your employer is hiring you for domestic work and is not a business.

On the other hand, how can you create a resume that will highlight your skills and abilities without needing to lie? Below are some suggestions:

1. Give Proof Of Skills Gained. Your skills in the workforce can be weighty indicators of your ability to work in a given job. You may not know what an employer is looking for. With many jobs that don't require a particular expertise, you many find that they are looking for people who are able to learn on the job. Proof that you have gained skills as a worker (or even a volunteer if you're just starting out) can be very valuable.

2. Expand Your Descriptions. Do not say 'I worked in an office', rather say 'I was responsible for answering the phones in a professional manner and directing calls to the proper departments. In a busy work environment I was able to multi-task by providing supportive administrative assistance to the head receptionist including maintaining a filing system, processing inter office memos, delivering documents in a timely manner, directing clients to their meeting appointments and providing relief reception. I was quickly able to learn the filing and switchboard systems as well as create good working relationships with fellow staff.'

If you need help you can find software programs which will give you suggestions on wording depending on the position you are describing or you can hire someone who writes resumes to help you.

By avoiding putting "white lies" in your resume and ethically elaborating on your key strengths, you can have confidence that you will get (and keep) your dream job.

To read about pomegranate bonsai, purple orchid tree and other information, visit the Gardening Central site: http://www.gardeningcentral.org/