40% of Companies Post Ghosts: Some jobs postings are scary, too.

Perhaps you spent part of Halloween weekend dressing as a ghost or scary character. It was fun, and we hope it helped you escape the stress of advancing your career or your search for a new job.

But did you know that, when you return to your job search this week you could meet ghosts again? Other job leads could come from really scary sources, too.

CBS MoneyWatch reported last year that 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 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.

Today, technology makes it easier than ever for employers to post ghost jobs. As a result, you could be applying for a lot of them without knowing about it.

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.

According to some press reports, a scary kind of fraudulent job is one posted by a foreign adversary to attract former federal employees and federal contractor employees who might have sensitive information to share. You already know how to be very wary about sharing information, though, if you have worked in such a sensitive job.

Can you avoid meeting a ghost job?

A strategy many coaches recommend for avoiding the ghosts is to find 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 find 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 share with clients is to use LinkedIn and their own contacts to find opportunities. Clients have found it surprisingly easy to expand their network beyond the minimum of 50 contacts needed for them to start showing up in searches. Clients have also been pleasantly surprised by the number of familiar names and faces they have 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. And, it is quite possible that many of the jobs you apply for this way are ghosts.

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, especially in a weakening job market. 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 job search is challenging. While there are no “magic beans” or easy answers, you can take steps right away to improve your chances. Find companies where you really want to work, use your online and personal network to find people that can help you contact 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.