It was unethical for Engineer A to imply on his resume that he was personally responsible for the design of the products which were actually designed through the joint efforts of the members of the design team.

In essence, the issue before the Board is to what extent, if any, may an individual engineer engage in less than total candor in the development of his professional resume. Although this issue may appear to be simple and easily resolved, a closer examination of the question reveals a number of difficult issues. An employment resume is in many senses a written description of the professional achievements and qualifications of the individual whose name appears at its heading. In the world of professional employment, it is the method by which prospective employees communicate their credentials, qualifications, experience, etc. to prospective employers. The resume is generally the first impression that a prospective employer gains of an individual. In fact, in the highly competitive employment environment that currently exists, the employment resume is the means through which the prospective employer "screens out" the less desirous, less qualified applicants. The importance of the employment resume cannot be overstated. It should therefore not be surprising that the contents of a resume can have an enormous impact upon the success of an employment applicant being considered for a position. Today there is great pressure on the job applicant to stress those qualities and qualifications which will have the greatest impact and make the best impression upon those in a position of responsibility in the hiring process. Job seekers take great pains to stress those aspects of their educational and employment history which demonstrate their suitability for the particular employment position in question. Over the years, the Board has faced fact situations which bear some resemblance to the facts in this case. In Case 72-11, John Doe, who had been employed as a design engineer in an aerospace company for twelve years, during which he had been assigned to the performance of highly technical and complex engineering design work, was laid off when contracts with his company were ter...

Engineer A is seeking employment with Employer Y. As an employee for Employer X, Engineer A was a staff engineer along with five other staff engineers of equal rank. This team of six was responsible for the design of certain products. While working for Employer X, Engineer A along with five other engineers in his team participated in and was credited with the design of a series of patented products.Engineer A submits his resume to Employer Y and on it implies that he personally was responsible for the design of products which were actually designed through a joint effort of the members of the team.

Was it ethical for Engineer A to imply on his resume that he was personally responsible for the design of the products which were actually designed through the joint efforts of the members of the design team?