{
  "id": 14772146,
  "title": "Job seekers are using ‘résumé Botox’ to seem younger. They say it helped them land interviews",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/job-seekers-are-using-resume-botox-to-seem-younger-they-say-it-helped",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-15T18:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91624466/job-search-resume-botox-edit-linkedin-profile-to-seem-younger-helped-them-get-interviews"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Résumé Botox, a practice where job seekers manipulate their applications to appear younger, is more prevalent than previously thought, according to a new survey. The survey, conducted by AI platform Use.AI, found that nearly half of 4,263 users who had applied for a job in the past year resorted to this tactic. More than four in ten respondents removed or changed details on their résumés or LinkedIn profiles to seem younger or less senior. This behavior was more common among women aged 45 and older, with 53% of them making such changes compared to 35% of men in the same age range.\n\nThese job seekers attributed their actions to a fear of ageism in the hiring process, pointing to both human recruiters and AI screeners as potential sources of age discrimination. Among those who had altered their résumés, 56% believed human recruiters would filter out their applications, while 38% thought AI screeners would do the same. Interestingly, 72% of those making changes were using AI to do so, although the high rate of AI use among the surveyed population might not represent the broader job market.\n\nThe survey results suggest that ageism in the workplace is a real concern for many older workers. A separate AARP survey found that two-thirds of workers aged 50 and older had experienced or witnessed ageism at work, with 91% believing age discrimination against older employees is common. The survey revealed that 36% of older workers felt age discrimination was very prevalent. Older workers reported subtle forms of age discrimination, such as being perceived as less tech-savvy, resistant to change, and having their accomplishments overlooked. Carly Roszkowski, vice president of financial resilience programming at AARP, emphasized that ageism is a universal experience, noting that \"we are part of an environment and a society that is obsessed with youth.\"",
  "summary": "Where cosmetic Botox softens wrinkles, so-called “résumé Botox” does the same for job seekers’ applications, making them appear younger to prospective employers. That might mean removing or editing graduation years, early jobs, senior titles, and profile photos, all in the service of obscuring an applicant’s real age. The practice is more common than you might think. A new survey suggests that…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}