How to spot a 'ghost job'

Has the job hunt been an endless cycle of applying and hearing nothing back? You may be falling for ghost jobs. 

Ghost jobs are open positions posted to job search sites that either no longer exist or are completely fake to begin with. According to Resume Builder, four in 10 companies posted fake job listings in 2024 — that doesn't bode well for the Wall Street Journal's estimated 1.6 million Americans looking for new jobs for at least six months. 

Jobseekers can think of ghost jobs under two different categories: intentional and unintentional. Understanding the reasoning behind these misleading job ads may bring jobseekers one step closer to being able to identify one, explains Martin Poduska, head of content at Kickresume. 

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"Sometimes hiring managers forget to delete old job posts, or a company loses a contract and no longer needs a position to be filled," he says. "Sometimes companies simply want to know how much interest there is in working for them, so these posts are their way of doing market research. Sometimes companies want to look like they're growing, to boost their reputation in the eyes of their investors."

Poduska admits there is no foolproof way to spot 100% of ghost jobs, but there are a few notable red flags jobseekers can look for before clicking on apply. 

Check the date

If a job post is a few months old and hasn't been reposted by the company, then that position is likely unavailable or non-existent. Ideally, jobseekers should aim to apply to job postings that are a few weeks old, if not less. 

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Pay attention to job descriptions

Poduska points out that companies that are genuinely invested in finding the right candidates tend to publish detailed job descriptions, including information on expected duties for the role, desired qualifications, workplace culture, compensation range and benefits package. 

"It goes without saying that when a company wants to attract the best talent, they put some effort into writing the job ad," says Poduska. "If the job ad is missing important information or you can spot from the get-go that not much effort went into writing it, then there's a good chance the job isn't real."

Confirm the role on the company website

Jobseekers should also take some time to visit the company's website and see if the alleged job opening is posted on their careers page. If a job post shows up on various job search platforms but not on the company's own website, then that's a definitive red flag, says Poduska. 

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Don't be afraid to reach out

Ultimately, jobseekers may have to take the time to send a LinkedIn message or email the hiring manager or another relevant person within the company to learn more about the open role. 

"The best thing one can do is to get in touch with someone on the inside," says Poduska. "If ghost jobs are something people really want to avoid, this could be a way forward."