Gen Z Turns to TikTok, AI to Boost Résumés—Even If It Means Lying

As digital platforms redefine career narratives and job competition intensifies, the line between truth and exaggeration grows increasingly thin, especially for Gen Z. On TikTok, influencers openly encourage young job seekers to lie about their résumés—and many are listening.

TikTok’s bold career playbook: “Fake it till you make it”

More than 70% of Gen Zers now turn to TikTok for career advice, and the #CareerTok hashtag has emerged as a significant hub for résumé tips and job-hunting hacks. One viral creator, @Womptomp, a self-described HR executive, tells his followers that résumé exaggeration is acceptable and strategic.

In a widely shared video, he said, “If you ever locked a door at a security building, you’re the operations manager.” For an office assistant who fetches coffee, he rebrands the role as “responsible for developing customer relationships.”

His advice reflects a broader mindset: qualifications are flexible, and confidence is key. The sentiment resonates with many young job seekers, especially as competition intensifies and entry-level roles require increasingly advanced skills.

Surveys reveal a rising trend in résumé lies

Recent surveys suggest that Gen Z applicants are significantly more likely than other generations to lie on their job applications.

Fox News reported that 47% of Gen Z respondents admitted to lying, exaggerating, or providing misinformation on a job application, according to a Career.io survey. That’s significantly higher than the 38.5% of millennials, 20.4% of Gen X, and only 9.4% of baby boomers reported doing the same.

A separate survey by StandoutCV supports these findings. It found that 64.2% of respondents had lied about their résumés at least once. About four in five job seekers aged 18 to 25 admitted to fabricating some of their credentials.

The most common types of résumé lies include previous work’s salary and experience, skills,  college degree, job titles, experience with equipment/software, personal information, high school grades, and references, with occurrences ranging from 25.4% to 32.8%.

Career coach Amanda Augustine strongly warned against deception because even small lies can backfire. Instead, she advised those with limited experience who want to stand out to take inventory of skills rather than inventing qualifications.

“There is such a greater emphasis placed on soft skills such as collaboration, communication, and problem-solving,” Augustine said. “Who doesn’t need a creative problem solver for their business these days?”