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On Today’s Menu

Today’s newsletter is a little different. Instead of tackling one specific topic, I’m going to be answering job seeker questions.

As a moderator of three subreddits with over 1.2 million members combined, you can imagine the number of questions I see on a regular basis.

I’ve picked out my favourite ones for today and will be answering them one by one. I hope you like the format—be sure to let me know by voting in the poll at the bottom!

The questions I’ll be answering today 👇

• Lying on a resume: Does it really matter if you fudge some details?

• Is it okay if I change my job titles on my resume? My HR title doens’t really reflect what I do.

• How much time do you spend on repurposing your resume to different roles and crafting personalized cover letter?

• Is a 4-month gig worth noting on my resume?

• If you apply and get a reject email a few days later, does it mean that the ATS scanned your resume and deemed you a no "immediately", or does it mean your resume DID make it past ATS and a human then rejected you?

Let’s get started…

Question 1

Does it really matter if you lie? After all, so many people do it! What’s the big deal?

Yeah, a lot of people lie. Especially on resumes. Titles get inflated, timelines stretched, metrics pulled from thin air. But just because everyone’s doing it doesn’t mean it’s a smart move—especially long term.

Lies have a way of showing up at the worst possible moment. I’ve seen clients come to me after getting burned—offered a job, then ghosted when the background check didn’t add up. Or they landed the role but couldn’t keep up because they’d oversold their technical skills. One guy had claimed deep experience in environmental remediation. Got hired, then froze on-site when asked to lead a project. One month in, they pulled him aside. He didn’t last.

What people don’t realize is that the resume isn’t just about getting in the door. It sets the bar for what your team, your boss, and the company expect from you. If you fake it, you better be ready to live that lie every day. And honestly? That’s exhausting.

And it's not just about ethics. It’s about strategy. A great resume doesn’t need to lie—it needs to focus. You highlight the wins that matter. You frame your story in a way that makes sense for where you’re going. I’ve built resumes for folks making big career shifts without padding anything. Just by pulling the right threads and tightening the narrative, you can tell a powerful, true story that lands.

So yeah, people lie. But people also get caught. And even when they don’t, they carry that stress like a ticking clock. You don’t need to play that game. You just need to know how to tell your story right.

Question 2

Is it okay if I change my job titles on my resume? My HR title doens’t really reflect what I do.

Short answer: yeah, it’s okay—if you're being truthful in spirit. HR titles are sometims useless. I once worked with someone whose title was “Happiness Engineer”. I've also worked with people whose official title was “Analyst” but they were basically running entire departments. If your actual responsibilities don’t line up with the title, you’re allowed to clarify that.

How to handle it: use a more accurate, functional title in parentheses or as a clarifier. Something like “Business Analyst (Project Manager Functions)” or “Marketing Specialist – Brand Strategy Lead.” That way you’re not pretending to be something you’re not, but you're also not letting a weak title undersell you.

One client I worked with had the title “Technical Officer.” Vague as hell. But he was leading cross-functional teams and managing million-dollar environmental projects. We changed it to “Environmental Project Manager” and he started getting interviews within a couple of weeks.

Question 3

How much time do you spend on repurposing your resume to different roles and crafting personalized cover letter?

Not as much as you'd think—and way less than most people assume. The trick is building a solid base resume first. Once that’s tight—clear narrative, strong accomplishments, aligned with your general goal—you’re not starting from scratch each time. You’re just tweaking.

As for cover letters, I don’t waste time trying to be poetic. I’ve helped execs land interviews with three-paragraph letters that sound like a real human wrote them. One strong hook, a few tailored points tied to the job, done. If it’s taking more than 15 minutes per role, you’re overthinking it.

Question 4

Is a 4-month gig worth noting on my resume?

Nah, usually not worth it. General rule of thumb: if it was less than 6 months, leave it off. You likely didn’t have time to make a real impact, and it just raises more questions than it answers. Most recruiters see short stints and assume something went sideways—so unless there’s a clear reason, don’t include it.

That said, there are exceptions. Contract roles? Fair game.

Company shut down? Makes sense.

Layoff you couldn’t control? Fine.

In those cases, be upfront about the context and focus on what you did while you were there.

But if it was just a quick jump that didn’t go anywhere, skip it. It’s better to have a cleaner story than try to justify a blip that doesn’t help you.

Question 5

If you apply and get a reject email a few days later, does it mean that the ATS scanned your resume and deemed you a no "immediately", or does it mean your resume DID make it past ATS and a human then rejected you?

Could be either—but honestly, timing doesn’t tell you much.

ATS systems don’t reject you. It’s the recruiter or hiring manager who decides what happens with your application. So even if you get a rejection within a day or two, it doesn’t mean the ATS tossed you out. What’s more likely is that you didn’t hit the mark for that specific role—or they just had a stronger internal candidate. Happens all the time.

I’ve seen resumes that were technically sound and keyword-optimized get quick rejections simply because the hiring team already had someone in mind. Doesn’t mean your resume failed—it means the odds weren’t in your favor.

Point is, don’t try to read tea leaves from rejection speed. Focus on building a resume that makes your value obvious in seconds. If you’re not getting bites, tweak. But don’t assume fast = failure. This stuff isn’t always that logical. Keep moving.

And that’s a wrap for this week. Hope you enjoyed it. If you have questions you’d like me to answer, be sure to connect with me at [email protected].