A personal question for anyone looking for a job: Did you lie or stretch the truth a bit on your resume?

That could be a real problem, because many employers now run background checks on potential hires.

"One of the most common things that people lie about is their professional licenses," says Kevin Connell of Accuscreen.

Connell says more than 40 percent of applicants fudge the facts of their resume, and the biggest resume fib is the dates of previous employment.

"They're either trying to cover up unexplained employment gaps. They can also embellish their dates because, dates that the person may have been incarcerated. They may have been in jail and they're giving out false dates."

Another common lie: exaggerating previous job titles.

"Many people want to make more money and they think that if they say that they are a manager or an upper level person in a company that they're more likely to actually make more money."

When it comes to resumes, the golden rule is keep it honest.