Ghosts Jobs

What is a Ghost Job?

A ghost job is a listing for a role that a company never intends to fill. The listing for the job often stays up for weeks or months at a time, but is never filled.

How Many Ghost Jobs Exist?

Research on ghost jobs is still limited. One article from March 2024 suggests up to 33% of all job postings in the US might be ghost jobs. This implies that up to 2.7 million out of 8.1 million job openings reported in May 2024 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics could be ghost jobs. This number could vary depending on factors such as the frequency of job repostings and the number of interviews conducted. However, the worst-case scenario suggests 2.7 million ghost jobs, which is alarming.

Why are Companies Posting Ghost Jobs?

A survey of 1,641 hiring managers by Resume Builder revealed some key reasons companies post ghost jobs.

1. Create the illusion the company is growing to attract investors. This is common among small- and medium-sized companies.

2. Provide overworked employees with false hope that additional help is coming soon. This is common among companies of all sizes, but is more prevalent among small companies.

3. Make current employees feel they can be replaced at a moment’s notice. This is very common among large companies.

4. Collect data about the talent pool for future hiring. This is most common among large companies that have the resources an infrastructure to conduct an analysis of the market.

I’d really like to emphasize the fourth point because I strongly believe it has the most impact on professionals applying for new jobs with other companies. Companies use ghost jobs to gather data on the talent pool. Companies engage in this practice to:

• Explore new geographic markets.

• Assess affordability of expanding into new product lines.

• Prepare for future return-to-office mandates.

• Plan for layoffs and rehiring at lower salaries.

Here are of the common tactics I’ve seen companies do to gain data this type of data.

Common tactics include reposting the same job every 1-2 weeks, conducting phone screenings, and even inviting candidates for interviews. In some cases, the hiring team might be unaware that the job will not be filled immediately.

How Much Time is Wasted Applying for a Ghost Job?

Applicants typically lose 3-4 hours tailoring their resume and cover letter for ghost jobs. More time-consuming is when companies follow through with phone screenings and interviews. In software engineering, preparing for interviews could take anywhere from 14 to 30 hours, including research, reviewing technologies, and practicing mock interviews.

What Can You Do to Avoid Applying for a Ghost Job?

Finally, I want to offer some guidance on how to dodge ghost jobs. While ghost jobs can’t be entirely avoided, there are some strategies to follow to minimize the number of applications that are submitted for ghost jobs.

Watch for Red Flags

1. Avoid jobs posted for more than 30 days or reposted more than twice.

2. Avoid jobs listed on job boards but not on the company's portal.

3. Avoid jobs listed as "On Site" or "Hybrid" in locations where the company has no office.

Communicate and Follow Up

1. Apply directly through the company website.

2. Contact the company within 24 hours after applying, and follow up if you don't receive a reply.

3. After a phone screen or interview, ask for the next steps. Follow up if you don't hear back by the given date and move on if there's no response.

By being vigilant and proactive, you can reduce the time wasted on ghost jobs and focus on real opportunities.

I hope this article has offered new insights into ghost jobs for everyone out there who is struggling in the job market right now. I also hope the guidance this article offers will help professionals avoid ghost jobs and maximize their chances of getting into a real role they want.

If you or anyone you know wants to share their experience applying for jobs in the current job market, inside or outside software engineering, we encourage you to respond in an email to this newsletter! You may be featured in our next article.

Thank you for reading and we will see you in our next article as we continue our voyage.