(NewsNation) — More than half of Americans admit to lying on their resume, but there are ways to stand out without being dishonest.

Congressman-elect George Santos has been in the hot seat for lying about his background. But 55 percent of Americans admit to having lied about their experience on their resume.

Job doctor Tessa White joined NewsNation with three ways to make your resume stand out while still being truthful.

1. Don’t Be Afraid of Gaps

The pandemic changed a lot of things about life, and one of them is that it’s become more acceptable to have a gap in your resume.

“To have a gap where you had to rethink or you pivoted your career. I don’t think it’s an unusual as it used to be,” White said.

2. Focus on Accomplishments

Don’t just parrot your job description, White said, because many applicants will be doing that and it will make it easy for you to get lost in a sea of candidates. Job seekers should instead focus on their accomplishments.

“Create business highlights and focus on the results. Suddenly, they’ve got a claim to fame on their resume that’s truthful and helps them stand out without needing to lie,” White said.

3. Skip the Fancy Formatting

It can be tempting to use sites to make a pretty resume in hopes of standing out visually, but White told NewsNation that can backfire because most resumes are run through an application system that will strip out any fancy formatting.

“That system often can’t read that fancy formatting and your resume ends up looking worse than before all the work you put into the beautiful design,” she said.

The exception, White said, can be for graphic designers or other artists who are able to deliver their resume in a way that ensures it skips the automated system.