Searching for a job is challenging enough, and now there’s a new warning about ‘ghost jobs’ that are appearing in the market.
Looking for a new position can feel like navigating through a minefield.
Unlike the past when one could simply visit a company’s office and drop off a resume, today’s job seekers must endure the complex process of online applications.
This shift has introduced a range of new issues, with the phenomenon of ghost jobs being a major one.
Ghost jobs are not about companies ignoring applicants, though that is frustrating enough. They are equally vexing for a different reason.
The term “ghost jobs” actually refers to job advertisements for positions that do not exist. These are also known as ‘fake’ or ‘phantom’ jobs.
A survey conducted by Resume Builder earlier this year uncovered some alarming trends related to ghost jobs.
Out of 649 hiring managers surveyed, an astonishing 40 percent reported that their companies had posted a fake job advertisement this year.
Fortunately, content creator Ceros Whaley (@cerostv) released a video offering guidance to job seekers on how to avoid ghost jobs.
He explained: “The posting date is very important to telling. If it was posted four days ago, five days ago, there’s a high chance that you shouldn’t click on that link.”
Ceros, who left a previous job due to disagreement over the company’s ghost job postings, also noted that ads showing excessive urgency, like ‘we’re hiring, we’re hiring now,’ are suspicious.
According to him, job ads without any time stamp should be approached with caution.
To steer clear of this practice, he suggests obtaining more information directly from the source.
Ceros recommends that job seekers contact companies directly to connect with hiring managers or departments to verify which positions are genuinely open.
He acknowledged that this approach can be time-consuming but believes it can prevent the disappointment of applying for non-existent jobs.
In the comments section, social media users shared their experiences with ghost jobs and offered further advice.
One individual noted: “My main tactic is to check the company website. If a job is on Indeed, but not the career section of the company website, I ignore the listing.”
Another pointed out: “ALSO companies are posting jobs they have no intention of hiring for. They already have someone in mind but are required to post it and interview others anyway.”
A third person mentioned: “HR Director used to constantly post ghost jobs to make the business look like it was doing better than it was.”
Wishing you success in your job search!