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There can be numerous hurdles when looking for a job, including so-called “ghost jobs”.
These may be phantom listings for jobs that don’t exist, or ones that were posted so long ago that it appears the job isn’t available.
Fortunately, career experts say there are ways for job seekers to avoid the challenges of a potential job of horrors and increase their chances of landing a job.
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Ghost jobs are not a nascent phenomenon, but a hot labor market during the pandemic has accelerated some seemingly bad behaviors.
For example, ghosting has become more common among job seekers and employers as parties remain more silent during the hiring process.
Recent labor market dynamics have also brought terms such as “great resignation”, “quiet giving up” and “loud giving up” into the collective lexicon. Such “funny” new names belie the fact that these trends existed before the pandemic — although perhaps with less prevalence — said Mandi Woodruff-Santos, a career coach.
10% had vacancies for at least six months
However, there seem to be plenty of vacancies, which is causing headaches for applicants.
For example, a simple search on LinkedIn revealed that about 1.8 million jobs had been posted on the site over a month ago, according to data available Friday.
According to a survey by Clarify Capital, in 2022, 10% of hiring managers reported having job listings that had been available for six months or longer.
“There is a “good chance” that jobs posted online for more than two months are ghost jobs,” wrote Aaron Case, a senior content writer at Resume Genius.
As a former human resources manager, Woodruff-Santos has seen firsthand why ghost jobs can exist: For example, a media company might run ads for the roles of “senior editor” and “associate editor” at the same time – even though in reality the company only has one available job .
The strategy helps companies broaden the net of talent attracted to each role, she said — even if it creates a ghost job.
“It takes time” for workers to apply online, said Woodruff-Santos, founder of MandiMoney Makers. It was “super frustrating and in some cases a terrible experience.”
Problems with recruiting are also a reason.
For example, a recent ZipRecruiter survey found that 57% of employers lacked qualified candidates. And 41% failed to fill a vacancy in the past six months because candidates wanted more salary than the company could offer, the survey found.
Employers can also leave “dead end” posts online to give the impression that their company is growing and to collect resumes in case a future position opens up, Case said.
The “secret recipe of job hunting”
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As a firewall, employees who see an attractive offer on an online job board should check whether the ad is also listed on an employer’s dedicated online job portal, Case said. Additionally, if the company is still hiring, it may have recently posted about the job on its social media feeds, he said.
There are cases where it still makes sense for job seekers to apply online for a position that was advertised months ago – especially for candidates who are particularly interested in a position for which they are also well-suited, Woodruff-Santos said.
That’s because the hiring process may have been drawn out due to a lack of qualified applicants or the company may contact an applicant later when a position becomes available, she said.
However, online applications only “scratch the surface” when it comes to maximizing your chances of getting a new job, she said.
Building personal relationships is the most powerful tool available to job seekers, she added.
This can include using contacts such as friends, family, former colleagues and others who can refer you to a manager at a potential company; or by engaging in environments such as conferences, meetings, seminars and training courses to meet people who may have opportunities for you now or in the future.
“It’s about putting yourself in a position to get lucky and meet someone in an elevator who might know someone,” Woodruff-Santos said. “That’s the secret to finding a job,” she added.
“The real goal you should have is to build such a good reputation in your industry and build so many relationships that people come to you before you even need a job,” she said.
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2024-03-22 18:00:08
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