How to spot ghost jobs in your first job search and what to do instead

By Jasmine Escalera, career expert at LiveCareer

Your first job search after college should feel wildly exciting and full of opportunities. You’ve been preparing for this moment and are ready to take the corporate world by storm. But there’s a sneaky part of the job search process that can kill your enthusiasm and build serious resentment and frustration. And that’s ghost jobs.

Ghost jobs are postings that don’t actually lead to real hires. In some cases, they’re for jobs that don’t even exist. Companies post these roles with no intent to fill them. You might be wondering: why the deception? Companies often use ghost jobs to build a pool of candidates for later, to test the market, or even to make it look like the company is growing.

According to data from resume builder LiveCareer’s Ghost Jobs Report, these kinds of postings are surprisingly common. In fact, 45% of HR professionals admit to regularly posting ghost jobs, and another 48% say they do it occasionally, often just to collect resumes. This isn’t just a one-time issue. Another study from resume builder MyPerfectResume found that 81% of recruiters say they’ve posted ghost jobs before.

That is a whole lot of fake job posts. And for someone trying to start their entry into the workforce, it can make job searching feel confusing, discouraging, and like a total time suck. But the good news is that there are clear ways to spot them. With a few smart strategies, you can avoid the ghosting and stay focused on real opportunities. You are ready to be hired for a position that kickstarts your career, so let’s get you there. Here’s what to look for and what to do instead.

🚩 The job has been posted for months, sometimes without updates.

If a listing has been sitting on a job board for 30, 60, or even 90 days with no edits or changes, chances are it’s not an active hire. Most companies move quickly to take down roles that have been filled. So if it’s been up forever, proceed with caution.

What to do: Stick to roles that have been posted within the past 1–2 weeks. Most job boards allow you to filter by posting date, so use that to your advantage to keep your eyes on fresh, active listings.

🚩 You apply and never receive a confirmation or response, even after following up.

It’s normal not to hear back instantly. But if you’ve submitted a strong application and followed up once or twice with no response, it may be a sign that the job doesn’t really exist or is no longer open.

What to do: Keep a job search tracker (even a Google Sheet works great) and note key things like when you applied, who contacted you, and when you followed up. If there’s still silence after two follow-ups, move on and don’t take it personally. Ghost jobs, or companies quietly shifting their hiring plans, are not a reflection on your abilities.

🚩 The role is consistently reposted or relisted without any hiring activity.

If you keep seeing the same job title, at the same company, popping up week after week (especially if you’ve applied before and never heard back), it may be a ghost job that’s being recycled to give the appearance of company growth or to collect resumes.

What to do: Use LinkedIn to check if anyone at the company has recently announced the position as a new opening. You can also check the company’s official career pages to see if the position you’re interested in is listed there and whether the posting details match. If it’s missing or looks inconsistent, that’s a red flag and a potential sign the listing is not legit.

🚩 The job has no application deadline or sense of urgency.

If the posting doesn’t list a timeline or mention when interviews will begin, it may be a placeholder rather than an active opening.

What to do: Look for postings that include specific timelines or clear next steps. If none are mentioned, check the company’s careers page or LinkedIn to see if they’re actively hiring for other roles. If everything feels vague or open-ended, it’s okay to skip the application and focus on jobs that show clear signs of real hiring activity.

You’ve worked hard to get to the point of applying to your first job, and that deserves a celebration. You shouldn’t be worried about wasting your time chasing jobs that were never real in the first place. Use the tips outlined in this article to avoid ghost jobs and stay focused on real opportunities that align with your emerging career goals. Always remember that just because a company ghosts you doesn’t mean you’re not qualified. It simply means they are not the right fit, and in the words of Ariana Grande…thank you, next.