Trust has grown into a significant issue in recruitment. High-profile job-seekers who’ve been caught lying on their resumes are just one reason employers are reluctant to trust job-seekers. In 2004, outplacement firm Christian & Timbers researched the resumes of 500 corporate executives, and discovered 23 percent of executives lied about their accomplishments. Job-seekers can gain an employer’s trust by integrating story into a resume, cover letter, or in an interview.

As Annette Simmons writes:

Before you attempt to influence anyone, you need to establish enough trust to successfully deliver your message….People want to decide these things for themselves…the best you can do is tell them a story that simulates an experience of your trustworthiness. Hearing your story is as close as they can get to first-hand experience of watching you “walk the walk” as opposed to the “talk the talk”… You need to tell a story that demonstrates you are the kind of person people can trust.

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Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling that Propels Careers, Quintessential Careers Press, ISBN-10: 1-934689-00-9. Find out the ways you can own the entire book.