- 41% of those aged 35-54 agree their age makes them less attractive candidates
- 28% have downplayed their work experience
- Just 33% of Canadian workers and job seekers aged 55 and older would include their graduation date on their resume
Botox might be best known for smoothing wrinkles to look younger, but a growing number of Canadians are applying the same philosophy to their resumes. New research from Employment Hero, the global AI-powered employment platform, finds 28% of Canadian workers and job seekers have downplayed their work experience – on their resume, LinkedIn profile or in job interviews – with many wanting to avoid appearing overqualified.
The behaviour is part of a growing trend dubbed “resume botox,” where candidates subtly smooth out their professional history by trimming earlier roles, removing graduation dates or dialing down senior experience that could make them seem older or overqualified.
The data suggests Canadians are being strategic about what signals their resumes send. Only half of Canadian workers and job seekers (50%) say they would include their graduation date on their resume if applying for a job today, and that transparency drops sharply with age. Two-thirds of Canadians aged 18–34 (67%) say they would include their graduation date, compared with 45% of those aged 35–54 and just 33% of workers aged 55 and older.
Among those who admit to downplaying their experience, the motivations are largely tactical: avoiding the perception of being overqualified (41%) and keeping the focus on recent achievements (41%) were the most common reasons cited.
Underlying these choices is a broader concern about age bias in hiring. More than three-quarters of Canadian workers and job seekers aged 55 and older (77%) say their age makes them a less attractive candidate in today’s job market, with nearly half (47%) strongly agreeing. Among workers aged 35–54, 41% say their age works against them, compared with 29% of those aged 18–34.
Real-world perspective
After 26 years with a manufacturing company in Mississauga, Ontario, Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) Bayla Greenberg-Consitt learned her employer was moving its operations to the U.S., eliminating her role. Re-entering the job market in her mid-fifties, Bayla hired a recruitment coach who advised her to remove graduation dates from her resume and trim 10 to 15 years of her work history to appear more aligned with the roles she was targeting.
“Re-entering the job market after almost thirty years, I knew my age would work against me,” Bayla said. “Despite my experience, I was willing to take on a more junior position that I was overqualified for, but employers seemed to struggle with looking past my age and recognizing the value I could bring with my extensive experience.”
While the “resume botox” approach landed her several interviews, it ultimately failed to secure a job offer. In the end, a personal connection led to a new position where the depth of her experience was fully valued.
For KJ Lee, CEO of Employment Hero Canada, the findings highlight a tension many job seekers feel between presenting their full experience and positioning themselves strategically for modern hiring processes.
“When talented people feel the need to ‘botox’ their resume just to get a fair shot, it tells you something about the system,” said Lee. “Experience shouldn’t be treated like a liability. The reality is that businesses benefit enormously from people who’ve seen more cycles, solved tougher problems and know how to get things done.”
Lee says the findings should serve as a reminder to employers that experience and adaptability often go hand in hand.
“The best hiring decisions come from looking at what someone can do today and the impact they can have on your business,” he said. “If companies filter out candidates simply because their experience looks ‘too long’ on paper, they risk overlooking some of the most capable people in the workforce.”
