How to identify a ‘ghost job,' according to LinkedIn's head of career products

Fast Company

2 days ago

For many, the most challenging part of job hunting in 2025 isn't the competition; it's the silence. People are applying to more jobs than ever but hearing back less. When a response doesn't come, it's easy to feel defeated. You may even begin to suspect that the job was never real in the first place—and in some cases that's true.
In new LinkedIn research, nearly half of job seekers said that not hearing back when they apply to a job is a top pain point in their search, and most said the application process feels unclear.
More than half of applicants reported hearing back from less than 5% of jobs they applied to, and 69% said the process lacks transparency. It's not surprising, then, that the majority of job seekers are feeling stuck. When responses are rare, candidates increasingly question whether the jobs they're applying to are even real.
That's where the term ghost jobs comes in. This expression has been growing in prominence in recent years, and we are seeing an increase in mentions of 'ghosting' across LinkedIn as well.
Ghost jobs are job listings that some companies post with no intention of hiring. More than a third of job seekers say ghost jobs are a major pain point. While ghost jobs are essentially fake job listings, we've seen job seekers assume the number of ghost jobs is growing because they're not hearing back from the companies they are applying to. In reality, it's not that straightforward, and part of what's driving this perception is silence. When job seekers apply and never hear back, it's easy to assume they've submitted to a ghost job.
In today's competitive market, it's harder than ever for job seekers to tell what's real, what's active, and where time is best spent. But there are ways to decipher whether a job is real and improve your chances of landing the right role.
Apply with more confidence
First, make sure you're doing your due diligence when it comes to vetting a job listing. Beware of any job posting that appears too good to be true, text messages offering job interviews, or listings that require payment up front.
These are clues that the job may not be what it seems. At LinkedIn, we've recently added new hiring insights offering new details on job listings, such as a company's typical response time and whether a job post is verified, so you can apply knowing information about the company or job poster has been confirmed.
Build a trusted network
One effective way to avoid silence in the job search is by leveraging referrals and recommendations from your network. When someone in your network refers you for a position, it can elevate your application.
In a LinkedIn consumer survey from March, 93% of hiring managers said referrals are important because they come with a trusted recommendation. If you have a first- or second-degree connection at a company you're interested in, don't be afraid to reach out and ask if they can refer you for an open position.
Share what you're looking for
You can also try posting proactively about what sort of opportunities you're open to. Close to a third of professionals shared that posting to their network about what they're looking for in a new role was helpful in making new connections or receiving introductions.
Ghost jobs make the process harder, but there are ways to protect your time and focus on what's real. Keep going. The right role is out there. And we are rooting for you.