STOCKHOLM, Sweden, October 28 /PRNewswire/ --

- Hiring Managers Share the Most Unusual and Most Common Resume Mistakes and Offer Tips for Creating an Effective Resume

Is your resume more fact or fiction? While only 8 percent of workers in Sweden say they have lied on a resume, 46 percent of employers say they have caught a lie on a resume according to a new Jobbguiden.se survey of employers and workers in Sweden. Of those employers who caught a lie, 54 percent automatically dismissed the applicant and 31 percent still considered the candidate, but did not hire him/her.

Jobbguiden asked hiring managers to share the most memorable or outrageous mistakes they came across on resumes. Examples include:

-- Lied about age -- by 35 years -- Attached a picture of self sitting at a pub -- Included that he was forced by an employment agency to apply for the job -- Used fake references -- Claimed to have a nursing degree, but had never even started school -- Included on resume that erased company database at prior job -- Lied about having worked for someone in the company -- Started the resume with wazup pal (What's up pal) The most common lies Swedish employers say they find on resumes include: -- Embellished responsibilities: 52 percent -- Skill set: 13 percent -- Job title: 7 percent -- Academic degree: 7 percent -- Companies worked for: 6 percent -- School they attended: 6 percent

Everything you do in the application and interview process speaks to your character, said Johan Hjelte, Managing Director of Jobbguiden.se. Even small embellishments like slight date changes or overstating responsibilities can hurt your credibility with a potential employer. If you are worried about your credentials or gaps in employment, a cover letter is a good place to paint the larger picture of you as a candidate and to explain any areas of concern.

Hjelte recommends the following tips to make your resume stand out for the right reasons:

Be specific

Nearly one-in-five (19 percent) employers in Sweden say they receive more than 50 applications on average for an open position and 22 percent of employers say they are receiving more resumes than last year. Tailor your resume and cover letter to the position at hand to get the attention of a recruiter and to show them you are really interested in the position and have done your homework.

Stand out from the crowd

More than one-third (34 percent) of hiring managers said on average they spend 60 seconds or less looking at a resume when first reviewing an application. Nearly one-in-ten (9 percent) said spend on average less than 15 seconds looking at a resume. Highlight specific accomplishments that are relevant to the job, quantifying results whenever possible to demonstrate the impact you had on your previous employers. A summary of relevant experience and qualifications at the beginning of a resume can also help focus the reader.

Use keywords

Hiring managers often use electronic scanning tools or manually scan resumes for certain words that signify you are qualified for a job. Be sure to pay attention to the words used in the job description and include them in your resume. The terms employers search for most often are:

-- Oral and written communications (40 percent) -- Problem-solving and decision-making (31 percent) -- Bilingual or languages spoken (18 percent) -- Leadership (17 percent) -- Customer service or retention (13 percent) -- Performance and productivity improvement (13 percent) -- Technology (12 percent)

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within Sweden by Harris Interactive on behalf of Jobbguiden.se among 222 hiring managers and human resource professionals (employed full-time; not self-employed; with at least significant involvement in hiring decisions); and 589 Swedish employees (employed full-time; not self-employed) ages 18 and over between June 5 and June 27, 2008, respectively (percentages for some questions are based on a subset Swedish Employers or Employees, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 222 and 589 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 6.58 percentage points and +/- 4.04 percentage points, respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About Jobbguiden.se

Jobbguiden.se is one of Sweden's largest job sites and a subsidiary of CareerBuilder.com, the leading online job site in the U.S. The company offers Internet solutions within job postings, career advice and Employer Branding for both employers and job seekers. The site was launched in 2004 and has since then helped thousands of employers to connect with job seekers within all categories of work. Jobbguiden.se has a number of partnerships and powers the career sites for many other big Swedish web sites, both broad and niche sites, in order to reach as many job seekers as possible. For more information about Jobbguiden.se, visit http://www.jobbguiden.se.

Media Contact: Jobbguiden.se Jenny Lovgren +46-(0)8-522-167-51 Jenny.Lovgren@jobbguiden.se

Web site: http://www.jobbguiden.se

Jenny Lovgren of Jobbguiden.se, +46-(0)8-522-167-51, Jenny.Lovgren@jobbguiden.se