One in 5 postings is fake. Here’s what you can do about it.
If you are currently in the market for your next role, you’re probably dealing with the soul-crushing effects of “ghost jobs”.
It’s when companies knowingly post “open jobs” with no intent of hiring.
Well-respected companies do that to create passive pipelines of candidates.
Recruiting firms do it to show a stellar record of talent and win business.
Consulting companies do it because they really have no soul!
Here are 5 things you can do as a candidate to identify ghost jobs and stop wasting hundreds of hours applying to jobs that don’t exist!
1. 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲’𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧
If a company consistently posts the same role without filling it, it might be posting ghost jobs to build a talent pipeline or boost their employer branding.
Check LinkedIn to see if people have recently been hired for similar roles. Also, look for employee reviews on sites like Glassdoor to understand the company’s hiring reputation.
2. 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
Fake or ghost postings often have vague job descriptions, lack of specific requirements, or boilerplate language.
As a candidate, always Prioritize applying to jobs with clear responsibilities, required skills, and specific qualifications.
3. 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐲 80:20 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐛𝐬
If you are finding yourself spending over an hour tweaking your Resume, perfecting your cover letter or filling in detailed essay style answers, you might be wasting your time, potentially on a ghost job.
Instead, my clients apply by 80:20 rule for balancing quantity with quality. They apply to atleast 20 roles/week with a Resume that’s fit for 80% of the job requirements.
4. 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
Some companies post fake or ghost jobs on external job boards because they don’t have any incremental cost to posting on job sites like LinkedIn or Indeed.
Before applying, quickly cross-check the job posting on the company’s official website to ensure it is real.
5. 𝐁𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬
Legitimate companies usually provide a clear timeline or process for interviews. If there’s little to no information on what happens after applying, the job might not be real.
Always ask for a timeline during early communications to gauge whether the company is serious about filling the role.
