See Right Through Ghost Jobs
Janel Van Beek
Executive Coach | Strategy | Product | Program Management | Organization Change | Leadership and Organization Effectiveness
Whether you believe in ghosts or ghost jobs, or not…you may have experienced the 2024 market weirdness: you apply for a job, make it through some or most of the process, only to be told the role is canceled. Then you see the same job freshly posted on social media or other job boards/outlets. Gah! What is going on? Insanity! Yup.
Here’s my TikTok interpretation of the experience:https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNMpXxBr/
Why do “they” do this? It really could be anything. Most common that I have heard is that someone is going ahead of the budget confirmation, or someone is moving too fast for HR or budget comfort. Can you just see it: “When you said you wanted to hire an IC software engineer, we didn’t think you meant right now. We thought you meant…later. As in, much later.”
I would love to hear other situations you have experienced, and the potential whys behind the what.
Some basic research from NPR and Quartz:
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What are "ghost jobs"? A vexing phenomenon is plaguing the labor market. "Ghost jobs" refer to listings by employers that either aren't real…www.npr.org
For the job seeker, the question remains: “Yeah, but do I apply for it again?” If the job is interesting, sounds like a good fit, and gives your Spidey-Sense good feels, it’s probably a good idea to go after round two. Re-apply and (best idea) re-contact your referral person and recruiter to let them know what is happening in the most neutral way you can offer. Try not to share your frustration or negative energy; be curious. Then, keep networking for your next opportunity. Keep grinding forward.
The Intentional Job Search is a free tool and online class to help you keep growing vertically while you search for work. It will also help you navigate murky waters such as this situation, so you can stand firm. Just because your income stopped doesn’t mean your growth has to stop.