Gen Z Is Most Likely to Let AI Tell a White Lie on Resumes, Survey Finds

You've probably heard it before: "everyone lies on their resume." Maybe it's a certification that's still in the works, or a job title that sounds a little fancier on paper. A tiny tweak can feel harmless, even strategic. Now, AI resume builders and assistants are making those tweaks faster, smarter, and more tempting than ever.

A recent survey from Kickresume sheds some light on just how far job seekers are willing to let AI bend the truth. Respondents were asked whether they'd let AI suggest small exaggerations or "tiny lies" on their resumes, and under what circumstances it would feel acceptable. The results reveal not only how people are using AI, but also where they draw the line between harmless polishing and outright fabrication, and which generations are most likely to press "send."

1. The Line Between Fabricating and Polishing
2. A Generational Divide
3. On the Flip Side

The Line Between Fabricating and Polishing

Your resume may be black and white, but most people don't see tweaking it that way. According to the survey, 46% of respondents admitted to slightly polishing the truth, 12% said they'd exaggerated responsibilities or impact, and 4% admitted to inflating or inventing job titles, dates, or qualifications.

Is it still a lie if you can defend it? For 39% of respondents, the answer is no—they'd let AI suggest a "tiny lie" on their resume as long as it could be explained. Another 18% said maybe, as long as it felt harmless. Meanwhile, 29% said no way, and 11% said yes, no questions asked. The remaining 3% weren't sure.

What’s really striking is how many people try to have it both ways. That 39% who said they’d use AI if a suggestion could be justified aren’t thinking in terms of right or wrong; they’re thinking in terms of an alibi. If a claim can be explained or defended, it starts to feel fair game. About a third draw a hard line: AI can polish wording and formatting, but inventing or exaggerating facts is off-limits.

A Generational Divide

Here's another debate starter for the dinner table: not all generations see resume tweaks the same way.

Gen X keeps it honest. Half say they've never stretched the truth, and very few exaggerate responsibilities (8%) or invent details (4%). Years of experience, interviews, and reference checks make them wary of claims that can't hold up, and with solid careers behind them, they rarely feel the need to embellish.

On the other hand, with many young people entering an increasingly tough job market, it's no surprise that Gen Z isn't afraid to push the envelope. Only a third stick strictly to the facts, 16% admit exaggerating their impact, and 6% have inflated titles, dates, or qualifications—the highest rate of outright fabrication among all age groups. For early-career job seekers facing fierce competition, bending the truth can feel almost necessary.

Millennials land somewhere in the middle. Half polish the truth a bit, but fewer go further: 12% exaggerate, and just 3% fabricate. They refine their resumes without crossing too many lines.

On the Flip Side

Gen Z may be willing to use AI-generated white lies, but can recruiters actually spot them? HR expert Marta Říhová says AI can be genuinely helpful for resume writing, and using it isn't a problem on its own. "The tricky part is spotting it," she notes. "That’s only really possible when someone generates the whole CV with AI and doesn’t adjust it."

It's not just AI that stands out. Exaggeration is common: 39% of professionals see it on 26–50% of resumes, and 31% say it shows up on 51–75% of applications. Nearly half of recruiters say they can detect AI use, but usually only when the resume hasn't been personalized. In other words, AI can polish your resume, but it's much harder to hide when someone leans too heavily on it.