How to spot a ‘ghost job’ before you waste time applying

Looking for a job is hard enough already, between economic headwinds, pivots to AI, and constant layoffs that just pump more competitors into the talent pool. Alas, there’s yet another obstacle to throw on the pile: “ghost jobs,” which are not even real job listings. 

Just as the name implies, these fake openings haunt LinkedIn and job boards across the internet—and are about as real as Casper himself. Companies slap them up on job sites for many reasons, from broadcasting a facade of company growth to simply filling a talent pipeline to pull from down the road.

These cruel fake-outs are the last thing exhausted job seekers need, so  Fast Company canvassed advice from over a dozen recruiting experts to break down exactly how to spot one of these bogus opportunities before you waste your time writing a cover letter and uploading a revamped resume. Read on for those tips, as well as other advice for navigating the more deceptive aspects of the job search.

—Bryan Lufkin