The posting date is one of the strongest clues. Real roles are often filled within around 30 days, while a ghost job posting may remain live for 30, 60 or even more than 90 days. Putsey said that “anything live 3+ months is almost always a ghost job,” particularly when the same advert keeps returning with little or no change.

Applicants should also check whether the role appears on the company’s own careers page. If a job is listed on LinkedIn or Indeed but cannot be found on the employer’s website, that can be a red flag.

Reposting patterns matter too: the same job appearing every few weeks with the same description may suggest the company is collecting applicants rather than filling the role.

The content of the advert can also be revealing. Real postings often name a specific team, function or reporting line, while ghost listings may read like generic templates.

I am so removed from corporate culture now.

My email box that I only used for jobs got absolutely filled with spam emails.

to see if any of their own employees are looking.

These would be adverts with no company name specified.

Biographies on 1000’s of specifically targeted populations, a marketer’s dream. But the piece doesn’t talk about that.