With job experience that includes being CEO of PayPal and high positions at other major companies, why would Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson lie on his resume? And it wasn’t even a big lie. He said he had a bachelor’s degree in accounting and computer science. He actually has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a major in accounting. Read more.

Some stockholders say this bit of exaggeration should not be dismissed. A lie is a lie, and he should go. Thompson’s supporters say he’s certainly qualified for the job, so it’s no harm, no foul.

Unfortunately, Thompson’s resume massaging is not out of the ordinary. Surveys show it happens all the time. Of course, that doesn’t make it right. But is it really so wrong?

• If we didn’t exaggerate some time, the stories we tell wouldn’t be so interesting.  And a resume is a kind of story. So what’s wrong with it?
• If you knew you were qualified for a job, but lacked something a potential employer was looking for, would you stretch the truth?
• Isn’t a little fib on a resume sort of like a white lie?
• What should an employer do if a job applicant is caught lying on a resume, but the applicant is perfect for the job?

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