Resumes – Does anyone check the accuracy?

Yes—you better believe it! Last week, RadioShack’s president and CEO David Edmondson resigned after questions arose about the accuracy of his resume.

Edmondson become the CEO in May 2005 after being groomed for the spot for some time. Shortly after his ascension, an investigation into his credentials listed on his resume began. Last week Edmondson admitted that he had "clearly" misstated his academic record on his resume. This information also made it to the company’s web site.

The Radio Shack board did not hesitate to accept Edmondson's resignation in hopes that the market would change its focus from the scandal to the company's turnaround plan.

Edmondson stated on his resume that he had received a Bachelor of Science degree. Unfortuantely, he can't prove it. He says he believes that he received a ThG diploma, awarded for completing a three-year degree in theology.

The interesting part of this story is that Edmondson has worked for RadioShack since 1994 and the issue did not surface until he accepted the position as the CEO. Up until recently, the company did not verify academic credentials. This policy has changed and today they do thorough checks now as a result of this incident.

Don't feel sorry for Edmondson—he will receive a severance package estimated at a whopping $1.5M.

Make sure that the details of your resume are correct--you may not get the 1.5 million from your employer to go away.