‘He is telling the truth!’: Expert shares how to tell if you’re actually applying for a ‘ghost’ job

Nothing’s worse than showing up to the annual extended-family Thanksgiving dinner unemployed. Everyone’s gloating about their success and you’re stuck feeling like you may as well be at the kids table. 

And with unemployment rates only expected to rise in the United States, this is a reality for many Americans. Yet, the job search has evolved from a quick scan of that newspaper back page into something much more digital and… deceptive. 

“This is gonna sound psychotic,” one man says of his theory on the subject. But he may be on to something.

How can you tell if you're applying for a 'ghost' job?

Posted on Sep. 15, the video features Ceros Whaley (@ceroswhaley), who began to share his concerns about today’s job market on his TikTok platform. Amassing over 263,500 views and 38,800 likes, the video is a warning to users about the employer's newest scheme: “Ghost jobs.” 

“So let me explain how to tell you when you actually are applying for a ghost job,” Ceros begins.

In opposition to a normal job posting, a "ghost" job is when a company publicly shares a job application with no intention of hiring. Often the role being offered is either already filled or doesn’t exist and has been posted for the employer to get a sense of the current market. 

And this isn’t necessarily a new or rare phenomenon. When surveyed by ResumeBuilder, it came out that nearly 40% of roughly over 1,600 hiring managers admitted to posting fake listings in 2024.

How to tell if a listing is for a 'ghost' job

Cero’s then explains the first tell-tell sign of a “ghost” job listing. 

“The posting date. The posting date is very important to telling,” Ceros says. “If it was posted four days ago, five days ago, there’s a high chance that you shouldn’t click on that link.”

Ceros explains that when applications are posted so recently, he believes that it shows almost too much urgency from employers. “We’re hiring now, we’re hiring now, we’re hiring now,” Ceros says. 

However, he also says that if there is also no time stamp given on the post, it also may not be worth the time.

Other indications of 'ghost' job listings

“Check the job description, job description matters a lot when it comes to checking if it’s a ghost job. If the job description is something insane, where it doesn’t really describe the job, that is also a way to tell when it is a ghost job,” Ceros says.

There is a way to confirm your suspicions. “The best solution [...] call the job, or go up there. Calling the job is the best way to do it,” Ceros says.

Pretending to make a phone call, Ceros guides viewers on exactly what they should say once they get a response. He holds a mimed phone to his ear. 

“Say, ‘Hey, I just got told to figure out where your manager is,’ and say that ‘You had a job for me and I figure that calling the place is the best solution,’” Ceros says.

How to get the truth from employers

While he understands that this can be a taxing ordeal, he finds that this is the easiest way to get the truth quickly from employers. He proceeded to go through a series of examples of what to say and how exactly to conduct finding the right numbers.

“If you call the hiring part [...] and ask for the manager number, the number line to that store, it’s a lot easier,” Ceros says.

After sharing his personal story Ceros begins to grow excited, pumping his fist in the air enthusiastic for his job-seeking viewers. “It shows drive! That’s the best way to do it,” Ceros says.

“If you see a job listing online that you’re not getting a callback, and you’re wondering ‘I applied for 100 jobs, why am I not getting a call back,’ it's because you didn't go the extra mile,” Ceros says. 

According to Ceros, it’s just as simple as that. “That’s how 'ghost' jobs work,” Ceros says. 

The importance of cross-checking

Ceros proceeds to advise that cross-checking is important as well. If you find a job listing on Indeed, it may be in good caution to check the company’s direct website as well. This is just to verify that the company is truly hiring and advertising that they are doing so, rather than just scouting on Indeed. 

“That happens. Where they’ll post a job listing on Indeed, or some job-searching website, and they won’t have it on their website. That’s messed up, too,” Ceros says.

In agreement with this strategy, one commenter shared her two-cents on this topic as well.

“My main tactic is to check the company website. If a job is on Indeed, but not the career section of the company website, I ignore the listing on Indeed,” the commenter said.

Ceros suggests comparing the pay rates listed on Indeed in comparison to the companies’ individual websites. He says the tactic can get you a long way.

The state of the U.S. job market

As of September 2024, unemployment was at 4.1% in the U.S., which is the lowest it’s been in three months. So it’s apparent why many viewers have have strong feelings on the topic. 

“Everything seems like it’s a 'ghost' job now,” one commenter said.

“I’ve put in 220 applications and not a single call back,” another added.

Though unemployment is the lowest its been in 55 years, that figure is projected to go back up. Experts are hypothesizing a .3 percent increase by 2025 from that of September, according to current job-market trends. 

So, before you walk into that next family affair, whether that be Thanksgiving or not, maybe Ceros advice could lead you to scoring that dream job to gloat about. 

@ceroswhaley Replying to @Aυƚιʂƚιƈαʅʅყ.Dɾιʋҽɳ ????꧁༺༻꧂???? #fyp #jobs #manager #reply #replyingtocomments #viral ♬ original sound - CerosWhaley

The Daily Dot reached out to Ceros Whaley (@ceroswhaley) via TikTok direct message. We also reached out to Indeed via its U.S. press email for comment. 

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