Jobs you're applying to might not be real
Job seekers increasingly report that many roles advertised on job boards and company sites are “ghost jobs” — positions kept open for optics, talent hoarding, internal politics, or visa compliance, with no real intent to hire. Alongside these sit outright fake listings used for phishing, identity theft, or data harvesting, enabled by lax verification on major platforms. Commenters describe a labor market where applicants face ghosting, hostile or perfunctory interviews, and scams, and argue that personal networks, direct employer verification, and greater regulation or transparency are becoming essential.
Prevalence of “ghost jobs” / non-real roles
- Many commenters say this strongly matches their experience: postings left up after roles are filled, roles advertised despite hiring freezes or no budget, and positions that never get approved.
- Others say it’s not new and has existed for decades, especially in tech and academia.
- Some report interviewing many candidates only to discover later the role was never truly open.
Motivations for keeping or posting non-real jobs
- Optics: signaling growth and success to investors, customers, and employees; pacifying overworked teams by pretending hiring is coming.
- Talent hoarding: building a pipeline of resumes, “whale hunting” for exceptional candidates, or market-testing salary expectations.
- Compliance: satisfying H1B / employment-based green card processes or internal HR policies that require external postings when the hire is predetermined.
- Internal politics and mismanagement: headcount games, changing requirements mid-process, or HR/finance quietly blocking hires.
Outright scams and fake employers
- Reports of fraudsters impersonating real companies, running fake interviews, then stealing identity or banking information, or asking for upfront payments.
- More sophisticated scams: fake usability-testing companies having people open bank accounts or apply for loans in their own names.
- Some agencies allegedly harvest resume data and interview knowledge to boost foreign candidates over locals.
- Advice repeated: never pay to get a job, verify contact info via official sites, be cautious with bank details, and consider using dedicated accounts.
Impact on job seekers
- Heavy ghosting, especially by recruiters, and form rejections (or none at all) after large time investments.
- Demoralization from months of tailoring resumes and applications with minimal response; perception that many postings are stale, fake, or visa-driven.
- Concerns about ageism, strict “years in stack X” filters, low pay, and demand for free take-home work.
- Many conclude that most good roles come via networking and referrals, not public boards.
Debate and proposed remedies
- Some doubt how widespread ghost jobs are and note recruiters are also overwhelmed by thousands of low-quality or AI-generated applications.
- Suggested fixes: regulation requiring unique job IDs, expiry dates, and disposition reports; better employer verification on job boards; visible hiring stats (like on some freelance platforms).
- Several argue for collective pushback (refusing onerous tasks, punishing time-wasting employers), while others warn this can backfire or be legally risky.