Never. In the world of recruitment, if a candidate seems too good to be true – investigate. Many times, recruiters don’t bother to research hire dates, education transcripts, or previous job duties – but sometimes they do. If a recruiter catches a fabrication of the truth, or an outright lie, he or she will most likely stop pursuing your candidacy, but could go much further. In Philadelphia, the recruitment community it tightly knit. We refer candidates, we make introductions, we network, and we warn others when necessary.

If you padded your resume a few years ago and continue to build on it, stop. Go through your resume with a fine toothed comb. Examine all of your dates; make sure they are correct down to the month. Review your educational history to make sure it’s correct and not misleading. Then, examine each bullet point on your resume. Can you discuss a time when you performed that duty? Do you have proof to justify your claims? Can you talk about this experience in depth? If not, remove it or change it into an accurate statement.

It’s a very competitive employment market in Philadelphia. Sometimes it seems impossible to get your resume in front of the right person. As you search for ways to get your resume to the top of the stack, remember, a well-written, honest resume always stands out. Lastly, networking is one of the best ways to find new employment in Philadelphia, whether it’s through organized happy hours, sport and social organizations, or Linkedin.