3 Strategies to Limit Job Search Frustration: Reduce your chances of applying for ghost jobs.

Several weeks ago, a coach I once worked for asked me what I suggested to reduce frustration during a job search. The question surprised me because the unemployment rate has been low. Some of my clients have found work quite quickly, too. But, my former boss said she has clients that are having difficulty landing interviews and jobs.

Last week, I spoke with one of my own clients in a high-demand occupation who told me she is not getting results. While we agreed that small changes to her resume might help, I recommended other steps, too. The tips I offered included:

1. Identifying target companies,
2. Using LinkedIn and your own network, and
3. Avoiding the temptation to apply for every posted job.

These suggestions are basic to many readers. They are worth restating because many of us forget them as we push through our daily job search work.

Identify target companies.

Job leads can be fleeting, or even ephemeral. And some job postings may also be fake. Other openings are already filled when they are posted. For example, the client I spoke with last week told me that an HR rep called her very quickly to tell her a job she just applied for was already filled.

A commonly quoted figure is that more than 70% of posted jobs are not available, while more than 70% of open jobs are not posted. These estimates have remained remarkably stable for the last 40 years despite vast technological changes.

According to CBS MoneyWatch, 40% of companies surveyed admit to posting so-called “ghost jobs,” and 70% of HR managers feel the practice is ethical. They do it to enhance the company’s reputation as a growing business, spur employees to greater productivity by showing they are replaceable, or just to collect resumes for future roles. Some even interview candidates for the fake jobs.

The practice of posting jobs that do not exist is not new. Back in 1980, when I temped briefly in an HR office, the manager posted nonexistent roles to collect resumes. Again, I saw the practice when I was a consultant for an HR office in 1996. But technology makes it easy to post more ghost jobs faster today, so you could be applying for a lot of them.

It is important to note, though, that CBS says ghost jobs are not the same thing as fraudulent jobs. Fraudulent jobs are posted by nonexistent employers to harvest your information, while legitimate companies post ghost jobs.

A strategy many coaches recommend is to identify target companies instead of pursuing individual jobs. LinkedIn and other job search and business networking sites, as well as Google, allow you to get alerts about announcements from specific companies, so technology can facilitate this approach. Additionally, you can use LinkedIn and other sites to identify people you know that work for target companies. While these strategies won’t eliminate ghost leads, it will at least focus your efforts on places where you really want to work and the people you want to work with.

Of course, it is still essential to apply only for jobs you qualify for within these companies or your results will be disappointing.

Use LinkedIn and your own network.

Another suggestion I passed along to my client was to use LinkedIn and her own contacts to find opportunities. She said it was easy to expand her network beyond the minimum of 50 contacts needed for her to start showing up in searches. Also, she was pleasantly surprised by the number of familiar names and faces she found on LinkedIn.

A coach I once worked with told clients “any job search method you can do in your PJs is too passive.” This applies to LinkedIn, so I recommend that clients also leverage their existing personal networks, including family and friends. If you landed your last job through a family member, perhaps this will work again.

Don’t apply for every job.

Above all, avoid the temptation to apply for every open job using automated or AI tools. Most of us do not qualify for every job, so we are wasting our time, as well as the employer’s time.

There is some evidence that the practice of applying for hundreds of jobs at a time is contributing to a great deal of job search frustration. There has been a substantial uptick in the number of applications per job, according to some recruiters, so the chances that you will be noticed in the ever-increasing virtual stack is getting smaller.

And, if you use an AI-generated resume that throws in all the right keywords, whether you have those skills or not, hiring team members will be frustrated at interviews when they find a disconnect between your skills and those on the resume. You will have wasted your time and effort, too.

The number of responses to each job lead has risen steadily in the last 30 years from about 50 in 1994 to hundreds today. No wonder many jobseekers feel frustrated even in an economy with low unemployment. The important thing, according to the Career Claw blog, is that you keep going and recognize that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Concluding comments

Recognize that, even in a good economy, job search is challenging. While there are no “magic beans” or easy answers, you can take steps right away to improve your chances. Identify companies where you really want to work, leverage your online and personal network to find people that can help you make contact with these companies, and then apply only for jobs that match your knowledge, skills, and abilities. These three steps will start helping you connect with the best job for you and reduce your chances of applying for ghost jobs.