Résumé Botox: 40 is the new 50

Résumé Botox: Millennial jobseekers are giving their résumés a facelift by hiding years of experience to land jobs

AS A GROUP, millennials are starting to feel father time breathing down their collective neck. Hang out with a group of them and you’re more likely to hear them talk about back pain than binge drinking. Many are getting Botox injections, trying to preserve their youth, while others are turning to ‘résumé Botox’ and lying about their age on their résumé.

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“Across TikTok, LinkedIn and wherever résumé advice is on offer, jobseekers are being urged to hide their ages to get hired,” reported Business Insider. “More and more workers are heeding the recommendations.”

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According to Glassdoor, there’s been a 133 per cent increase in jobseekers reporting ageism in the job market. Career advisor Josh Bob noted that more elder millennials are hiding their age and implying they are younger by omitting the early parts of their work history.

While that’s not necessarily a new dynamic, what is new is that these concerns are emerging for people in their 30s and 40s. “Many of those mid-career workers find themselves in a job market no-man’s-land, not yet calcified into the corporate establishment but no longer synonymous with the future of business and work,” wrote Business Insider. “When experience no longer matters, what does? In this upside-down reality, résumé Botox has become a rational strategy for survival.”

Some are putting the blame on corporations, many of which seem averse to paying for experience.

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“I think more employers are just trying to stay within a budget, so when they see 20 or 30 years of experience on a résumé, they might think that’s going to be extra expensive,” said HR professional Jessica Ehlers. And it’s something she is experiencing firsthand: she was laid off at 37 and feels that ageism played some part. It’s also playing a part in how she tries to get a new job.

“After only listing 10 years on my résumé,” she said, “I’ve had a lot easier time getting into interviews.” Kieran Delamont