?? Job Postings & ?? New Grad Tips

Spotting Ghost Job Postings

What are ghost job postings?

Ghost job postings are job advertisements that appear legitimate but may not actually represent a real job opening. These deceptive listings can waste your time and effort, leaving you frustrated in your job search.

Why do ghost job postings even exist?

According to a survey by Clarify Capital , the top 3 reasons employers post "ghost jobs" are:

1. The company is always open to new people
2. To keep current employees motivated
3. To give the impression the company is growing

Other reasons might include the company trying to build a candidate pool for future openings, testing the market to gauge interest in a new position, or having already chosen a candidate (internal or external).

How can you spot ghost jobs:

1. Check the date - Based on research , it takes an average of 44 days to fill a position. If the job posting is 45+ days old, you might have found a ghost job. Check the company's website, and if it's not there, the role probably has been filled.
2. Generic description - Real job postings usually include details on the qualifications and responsibilities of the role. If the description is vague and generic, it's likely a ghost job posting.
3. Conduct some research - Check the company's social media channels to see if they are posting about their open positions. Network with someone at the company to inquire about the posting's legitimacy. If necessary, identify and contact the hiring manager to see if the position is still open.

3 Tips for 2024 Grads on the Job Search

1. Look where other grads won't: Instead of targeting the big names that get thousands of applications, do some research to find and apply to those company's vendors. Also, don't rule out small and medium-sized companies; according to the Small Business Association, they make up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses and account for almost 50% of all private-sector employees.
2. Consider temporary or contract work: Temporary or contract work can help you showcase your skill set in the real world, build connections at companies, and can sometimes be easier to land than full-time positions. These positions will give you an opportunity to showcase how you can provide value as a full-time employee. You can go search temp agencies like Adecco , Randstad , Kelly Services , Robert Half, Aerotek , Akkodis , or Creative Circle .
3. Start something hands-on: Unfortunately, while you're searching for a job, employers will want to know what you were doing during this time. Find some sort of money job (e.g., retail, tutoring, etc.) or side hustle (e.g., graphic design, walking dogs, transcribing, etc.). Continue your professional development during this time to show your dedication. These two things will give you results and activities to report during interviews.

Bonus: Tap into your network to try to secure referrals. This could be your school's alumni base, members of your fraternity or sorority, or even classmates who have landed positions. In the U.S., employee referrals account for anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of all new hires .

Stop Being Afraid of AI

I want you to learn how to utilize AI to your advantage in your job search and career.

In previous newsletters, I shared 4 AI systems you could use: ChatGPT , Gemini AI , Perplexity , and HIX .

In every newsletter, I will share a new prompt you can try in AI systems to help you out! So far, we've covered prompts to identify keywords and phrases and get feedback on your resume.

This week, I'm giving a prompt that can help people who want to change careers, but may not know what options are out there for them:

I am going to provide you with my resume. I want you to analyze it for skills and areas of expertise. Then, I want you to analyze current job market trends. Provide insights on emerging and existing roles that are either directly relevant to my experience, skills, and areas of expertise or that I have transferrable skills for.

Copy and paste in your resume, then hit enter and let the system do its thing!

Career Tools

Tired of writing, rewriting, and tailoring cover letters? That's where Cover Letter Copilot comes in their free AI cover letter generator helps you craft cover letters using your resume and the job description.

Check it out, and let me know what you think!

REMEMBER: AI should only be used as a thought partner, meaning you should never just copy and paste over something from AI. You will still need to customize it and make it sound like you.

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