Truth Matters: Helping Clients Navigate Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation

–By Sharon Graham, Founder and Chair of Career Professionals of Canada –

Career professionals serve as sounding boards for individuals navigating complex decisions in uncertain times. Clients rely on us not only for practical support, but also for credible insight into the ever-changing labour market and to help them navigate misinformation. That’s why it’s more important than ever to understand how misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation can affect career decisions.

Understanding the Landscape: What We’re Up Against

• What is Misinformation? Misinformation is false or misleading information that is shared without intent to deceive. It can be as simple as an outdated statistic, a misunderstood job posting, or a viral social media post that takes facts out of context.
• What is Disinformation? Disinformation is intentionally false information, spread to manipulate or influence opinion. It often appears in coordinated online campaigns, fake job advertisements, or misleading content targeting vulnerable groups.
• What is Malinformation? Malinformation differs slightly from misinformation and disinformation. It refers to genuine information that is shared with harmful intent, often by taking facts out of context or exposing private or sensitive information to cause harm. Malinformation can be hard to spot. The facts themselves may be accurate, but the way they’re used or framed is meant to mislead, harass, or manipulate. This makes it particularly harmful in career contexts, where reputations and privacy are at stake.

While the intent may differ, the result is often the same: confusion, wasted effort, and poor decisions.

Why Career Professionals Must Stay Vigilant

Misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation are career development issues.

They can cause clients to:

• Believe they’re too old or too young for specific jobs.
• Follow ineffective job search strategies.
• Avoid valuable opportunities based on false assumptions.
• Accept unrealistic promises of “get-rich-quick” schemes or multi-level marketing roles.
• Doubt their skills or potential due to skewed labour market messaging.

When people believe things that aren’t true, they may waste time, feel defeated, or lose trust in legitimate sources of help. As career professionals, we must step in, not to argue or debate, but to gently guide clients back toward credible and actionable information.

Common Sources of Misinformation in Career Development

Here are a few areas where false or misleading information tends to show up:

• Online Job Boards and “Too Good to Be True” Ads: Scam jobs and misleading listings are more common than ever. Some promise remote work with high pay and little effort. Others collect personal information without any real hiring intent. What we can do:
  • Teach clients how to verify the legitimacy of an employer (e.g., through LinkedIn or Better Business Bureau listings). For organizations, always use the official site found via a search engine (e.g., “Company Name official website.”)
  • Encourage the use of reputable job boards and career websites that vet postings.
  • Share red flags to watch for (e.g., upfront fees, vague job descriptions, personal email addresses instead of company domains).
• Labour Market Myths: Examples include “No one is hiring right now,” or “Robots are taking all the jobs.” These narratives, while sometimes rooted in partial truths, can become exaggerated and disempowering. What we can do:
  • Share up-to-date labour market information from reliable sources like Statistics Canada, Job Bank Canada, Labour Market Information Council (LMIC), provincial government reports (e.g., Employment Ontario), or other sector councils (e.g., Electricity Human Resources Canada, BioTalent Canada).
  • Encourage critical thinking by asking, “Where did you hear that?” and “Would you like to explore other perspectives together?”
  • Guide clients in interpreting labour market trends through a personalized, empowering lens.
• Credential and Licensing Confusion: Newcomers may be targeted with offers of fast-track certifications or private programs that fail to lead to licensure or regulated employment. What we can do:
  • Point clients to provincial regulatory bodies (e.g., Ontario’s Regulatory Professions) and official resources for credential recognition (e.g., Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC)). Use your province’s official website for recognized licensing authorities.
  • Offer a second opinion on education and training investments, especially when they’re costly.
  • Create resource lists of trusted providers and pathways.
• Social Media Influencers and Hustle Culture: While some influencers share helpful career tips, others offer misleading or unqualified advice, often to sell a course, service, or product. What we can do:
  • Discuss the difference between anecdotal advice and evidence-based guidance.
  • Help clients build media literacy by asking, “Does this person have experience in your field?” or “Are they offering advice, or trying to sell something?”
  • Use fact-checking and media literacy tools (e.g., MediaSmarts, Snopes, org)
  • Emphasize that success is not one-size-fits-all and that ethical, steady progress often beats flashy shortcuts.

Strategies to Address Misinformation Without Offending

One of the most significant challenges we face is how to correct misinformation without shaming or embarrassing the person who holds the belief. Here are a few professional strategies:

• Ask, Don’t Tell: Instead of saying, “That’s wrong,” try asking, “Where did you come across that information?” This opens the door for discussion rather than debate. Clients often reflect more deeply when they are invited to explore their sources.
• Offer Alternatives, Not Just Corrections: Instead of simply debunking a myth, provide a credible alternative. For example: “Some people online say that résumés should only be one page, but that advice is often targeted to American students. In Canada, especially for experienced professionals, a two-page résumé is quite standard. Let me show you an example.”
• Use Empathy and Curiosity: Remember that clients may be acting on misinformation out of fear, hope, or confusion—not bad intent. Acknowledge their concerns before guiding them elsewhere: “I understand why that sounded like a good option. It’s so hard to know who to trust online. Let’s look together at some verified resources.”
• Build Media Literacy into Career Conversations: We don’t need to be media experts to teach basic critical thinking. Encourage clients to ask themselves questions like: “Who is the source of this information?” “Are they trying to inform, sell, or persuade?” “Is there evidence to support their claim?” or “Are reputable sources saying something different?”
• Focus on Empowerment, Not Correction: The goal isn’t to prove someone wrong. It’s to give them the tools to make more informed choices. Framing the conversation this way keeps it respectful and productive.

Supporting Ourselves as Professionals

This work begins with us. If we want to guide others toward truth, we must continually challenge our assumptions and strengthen our understanding. Here’s how:

• Stay Current: Subscribe to updates from credible Canadian sources featured in this article.
• Fact-Check Before Sharing: Before reposting that trending article or infographic, verify the source. Ask yourself, “Does it come from a government, academic, or peer-reviewed institution?” “Is it dated?” and “Is it opinion or fact?”
• Acknowledge Gaps in Knowledge: It’s okay not to have all the answers. Modelling curiosity and research can be more powerful than claiming certainty. Try saying, “I’m not sure, but let’s look into it together.”

What Clients Want

Clients don’t want perfection. They want honesty, support, and guidance. In a confusing world, our calm, evidence-based approach makes a big difference. When we help clients sort through information with care and kindness, we give them more than just tools. We provide them with confidence.

And perhaps even more importantly, we give them permission to be themselves.

Authenticity can be one of the most freeing forces in a person’s life. When a client stops trying to fit into someone else’s mould or live up to an idealized image of the “perfect candidate,” and instead begins showing up as their authentic, capable self, that’s when they truly start to flourish. That’s where the power lies: in knowing who you are, what you bring, and how to communicate it truthfully.

This is something we often see in résumé development. Some clients want to embellish their achievements, fearing they won’t be competitive unless they “sound bigger and better.” But the best résumés don’t stretch the truth. They clarify it. They highlight genuine strengths, lived experience, and real-world value.

The same goes for interviews. When clients try to memorize the “perfect” answer from a script they found online, they often feel stiff and uncertain. When they speak from a place of authenticity, they appear grounded, confident, and trustworthy.

Truth-telling in career development isn’t just about correcting misinformation. It’s about encouraging clients to show up fully and honestly in their professional lives. Because when you’re authentic, you attract the right opportunities. You find roles that fit, not just on paper, but in purpose.

Career Professionals as Guides in a Noisy World

Misinformation and disinformation are unlikely to disappear anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless. Career professionals have a unique role to play as guides and gatekeepers of good information.

By staying informed, responding with empathy, and focusing on empowerment over correction, we can help our clients develop not only stronger résumés but also more decisive judgment, discernment, and self-trust.

We help clients build careers grounded in truth. And in doing so, we help them move forward with clarity, confidence, and freedom.

A Valuable Resource for Career Professionals

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security offers a clear and practical guide on how to identify misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation. You can find this resource here: How to Identify Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation.

This page provides definitions, examples, and tips to help you identify and avoid harmful or misleading information online. For career professionals, understanding these differences is crucial. It helps us better support our clients in a digital world where information is vast but not always reliable. The guide also emphasizes the importance of protecting personal privacy and reputations—issues that can significantly impact job seekers in real and lasting ways.

I encourage all career professionals to visit this site, bookmark it, and incorporate its insights into their daily practice. It’s an essential tool in our ongoing effort to empower clients to make informed, safe, and authentic career decisions.

As career professionals, our commitment to truth, both in the information we share and the way we help clients express themselves, is a powerful form of service. In a world filled with noise, we can offer clarity. In a system full of pressure, we can model integrity.