Around 60% of 2028 Graduates Experienced Generative AI 'Hallucinations' During Job Hunting; Less Than Half Thoroughly Fact-Checked Despite Efficiency Gains

Leverages, Inc., which operates the career support service "Career Ticket Shushoku" (https://careerticket.jp/) for new graduates, conducted a survey on the job hunting realities of 140 university and graduate students graduating in March 2028. The survey aimed to clarify how students interact with generative AI and the impact of AI's spread on the career perspectives and job choices of the 2028 graduating class, as the use of generative AI in job hunting becomes more common.

The full article can also be viewed here.

https://careerticket.jp/media/article/2860/

<Survey Summary>

85% of 2028 graduates utilize "Generative AI" for job hunting, primarily for "editing statement of purpose" and "company research."

Information Misinformation Risk Widens Behind AI Utilization; Less Than Half of Students "Always Fact-Check."

Approximately 60% experienced "hallucinations (false information)" when using AI for job hunting; about 70% experienced negative impacts or failures.

Looking ahead to the AI era, about 80% prioritize "specialized skills" and "on-site knowledge" in career selection. Job choices are concentrated in "planning roles" and "sales roles."

1. 85% of 2028 Graduates Utilize "Generative AI" for Job Hunting, Primarily for "Editing Statement of Purpose" and "Company Research."

When asked about the utilization of generative AI in their job search, 85.0% of the 2028 graduating class responded that they "are utilizing it," excluding the 15.0% who answered "not particularly utilizing it." This indicates that generative AI has become deeply established as a tool for improving efficiency in information gathering and document creation in recent job hunting activities.

The most common specific application was "creating or editing statements of purpose and self-PR (72.9%)," followed by "company research (45.0%)." This suggests its establishment as a powerful means to streamline information gathering and document creation during the "early-stage job hunting" period, where time is limited.

2. Information Misinformation Risk Widens Behind AI Utilization; Less Than Half of Students "Always Fact-Check."

Among those who responded that they use generative AI for company research during job hunting, when asked about fact-checking AI-generated information against "primary sources" such as official websites, only 46.0% answered "always verify facts using official websites or IR materials," revealing that over half are not thoroughly fact-checking. A certain number, less than 10%, also responded "rarely do it (trusting AI's answers as is) (6.3%)."

This highlights the risk to information literacy, where students may become overly reliant on the convenience of generative AI and accept its output without verifying its accuracy.

3. Approximately 60% Experienced "Hallucinations (False Information)" When Using AI for Job Hunting; About 70% Experienced Negative Impacts or Failures.

When asked if they had experienced "hallucinations" (where AI outputs information that differs from facts, i.e., plausible falsehoods) when using generative AI for job hunting, approximately 60% responded "yes (received information that was different from facts or inconsistent with reality) (60.5%)." Additionally, 16.8% responded "don't know / haven't checked."

Among those who had experienced hallucinations, about 30% responded "no particular negative impact (30.6%)," but the remaining approximately 70% reported experiencing some form of negative impact.

Specifically, the most common complaint was "had to doubt AI's answers, which increased the investigation effort (36.1%)," indicating a time loss. Although a minority at 5.6%, some students experienced a risk of misjudgment that could affect their decision-making in the selection process, such as "believing in non-existent systems or achievements and almost making an incorrect judgment on their preference order."

4. Looking Ahead to the AI Era, About 80% Prioritize "Specialized Skills" and "On-site Knowledge" in Career Selection. Job Choices are Concentrated in "Planning Roles" and "Sales Roles."

In response to the spread of AI and increasing automation of tasks, when asked about the extent to which they prioritize acquiring "specialized skills" and "on-site knowledge" that are less likely to be replaced by generative AI when choosing their future careers, approximately 80% (78.6%) answered "prioritize," combining "very important (22.9%)" and "somewhat important (55.7%)." This suggests that career perspectives for navigating the AI era are already significantly influencing industry and job selection.

When asked about their desired or considered job roles, the top choice was "creative/planning roles (57.1%)," including marketing and strategy development, followed by "sales/interpersonal negotiation roles (40.7%)," and thirdly "IT specialized roles (18.6%)," referring to positions like AI engineers and data scientists.

This indicates a trend among students towards roles that involve "creativity," "building human relationships," and "empathy," which are considered less replaceable in the AI era.

<A Word from Ryota Tega, General Manager of Career Ticket Business Division>

This survey has revealed that while generative AI has already become an "everyday tool" among the 2028 graduating class for job hunting, it has also highlighted the reality of "information misinformation" behind its convenience and the career perspectives of students looking ahead to the AI era.

What will be required of companies going forward is how they can convey "unique on-site realities" and "the passion of their employees" – information that cannot be conveyed solely through AI summaries or web contexts – during the selection process. Precisely because information digitization is advancing, we believe that the value of "career support" in conveying the essential appeal of a company, which cannot be visualized by AI, to students and ensuring the quality of matching is becoming more important than ever.

◆ Ryota Tega Profile

General Manager, Career Ticket Business Division

Graduated from Waseda University and joined the company in 2017.

Participated in the launch of multiple new businesses, serving as Product Manager, Marketing Director, and General Manager.

Appointed General Manager of the Career Ticket Business Division in 2023.

<Survey Overview>

Target Audience: University students scheduled to graduate in 2028 registered with "Career Ticket."

Survey Period: May 22, 2026 - June 12, 2026

Survey Method: Web questionnaire survey

Number of Respondents: 140

Survey Organizer: Leverages, Inc.

Career Ticket Shushoku (https://careerticket.jp/)

Career Ticket Shushoku is a career support service for new graduates. Centered around agent and scout services, it emphasizes personalized career support and pursues optimal matching between students and companies. Amidst the increasing speed and complexity of job hunting, it provides substantial support to enable all students to make choices with confidence.

Leverages, Inc. (https://leverages.jp/)

Head Office Location: Shibuya Scramble Square 24F/25F, 2-24-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Representative Director: Tomohide Iwatsuki

Capital: 50 million yen

Established: April 2005

Business Activities: Human resources business, SaaS business, M&A consulting business, etc., primarily in the IT and medical/healthcare fields.

With a focus on "solving social issues," the company operates over 60 services across various fields spanning countries and industries, including human resources, SaaS, and M&A consulting, particularly in the IT and medical/healthcare sectors. Since its founding in 2005, it has maintained profitability and exceeded 170 billion yen in annual sales in FY2025*. With a portfolio management approach that does not limit itself to specific industries and an in-house organizational structure of specialists in each field, the company aims to become a global enterprise representing the era. *After accounting standard changes.