Recognize ghost jobs: These job advertisements are fake
“Gohst jobs”, also known as “ghost jobs”, are advertisements for jobs that don’t actually exist. For applicants they are a complete waste of time. But why do companies advertise such positions? And: How can you recognize ghost jobs?
The term “ghosting” actually comes from the social media world. This means a complete and sudden loss of contact without notice or indication. All contact attempts by the ghosted person usually come to nothing.
The most radical forms of ghosting: banning and blocking phone numbers, email addresses and social media accounts. The phenomenon of ghosting has now also made it into the working world. Both employees and employers can be affected by a loss of contact and a communication stop.
Ghost Jobs: Possible Reasons
In the meantime, however, there are other ghosts in the professional world – so-called “ghost jobs”. These are advertisements for positions that don’t actually exist. Employers use this to signal that they are looking for staff, although this may not correspond to reality.
The reasons for this can be varied. The simplest explanation: The position has already been filled, but the ad was accidentally not taken offline. However, this cause is likely to be short-lived. Because if more applications are received, sooner or later the employer should track down the ghost.
Another possible reason: public image. Because some companies deliberately leave job advertisements online – even if the position has been filled. The goal: polish up your own image. After all, posting vacancies can signal that the company is in good financial shape and wants to grow.
Ghosting at work: How to recognize fake job advertisements
In theory, however, employers could also post ghost jobs in order to be able to assess applicants and competitors. Keyword: salary range. Meanwhile, to avoid wasting time, there are a few signs applicants can look for to identify ghost jobs.
The first important indicator: time. Because if a job advertisement has already been online for one or more months, this can be a sign of a ghost job. Another point of reference: If you find an advertisement on a job portal, you should first check whether it can also be found on the corresponding company website.
If not, the position may have already been filled, but the job postings have not yet been taken offline. Job postings should also be as specific as possible.
A low information content can also indicate a ghost job – for example for image reasons or to sound out the market. Another indication of this: a sluggish application process. Because when companies want to actively fill a vacancy, they usually act quickly.
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