42% Job Applicants Edited CVs To Hide Real Age: Use.AI Report
A Use.AI survey has found that 42% of job applicants changed details on their CVs or LinkedIn profiles to appear less senior.
A survey has found that 42% of job applicants changed details on their CVs or LinkedIn profiles to appear younger or less senior. The changes included removing graduation years, early jobs and senior titles, as candidates sought to manage how employers viewed their experience.
The latest Use.AI report covered 4,263 of its users from the US, UK, Canada and the European Union who had applied for a job in the previous 12 months. The findings point to concerns about age bias in recruitment, with artificial intelligence (AI) making it easier for candidates to edit their professional profiles.
The trend was more pronounced among older women. Some 53% of women aged 45 and above said they had made such changes, compared with 35% of men in the same age group. The 18-percentage-point gap suggests that concerns about age and professional credibility may differ between women and men. However, the survey does not establish the reasons for this difference.
Among respondents who edited their profiles, 56% said they believed human recruiters would filter them out. Another 38% expressed the same concern about AI screening. Respondents could select both answers, and the findings reflect their perceptions rather than verified rejection rates.
Views on AI screening varied across the wider sample. Some 28% believed AI assessed applicants’ age less fairly than human recruiters. In contrast, 25% considered AI screening fairer, while 33% saw little difference between the 2 approaches.
According to the official statement, AI tools were widely used to make profile changes. Among those who edited age-related details, 72% used AI to make the changes. These tools can shorten employment histories, rewrite professional summaries and remove details that may signal a candidate’s age or seniority.
Some respondents also reported changes in their job-search outcomes. Among those who edited their profiles, 43% said they received more interview invitations afterwards. Another 10% reported receiving fewer invitations.
The edits can involve trade-offs. Removing a graduation year may conceal a candidate’s age without changing their listed qualifications. However, cutting early jobs or downplaying senior titles can also remove evidence of experience and professional achievements.
The findings suggest that some applicants are changing how they present their careers based on how they expect recruiters to assess them. AI has made these changes easier, but the survey does not establish whether the edits improved their chances of securing a job.