How to tell if a job posting is real before you apply

The best time to catch a ghost job is BEFORE you apply, not after weeks of silence. Here's the quick pre-flight check.

The 5-minute checklist

• Find the hiring company. A real role names the company (or a verified employer). "Confidential" + a staffing agency + no details is a yellow flag.
• Check the post date and history. Reposted every few weeks, or "open" for months with no updates? Likely a pipeline-filler.
• Look for specifics. Real teams describe real work — the team, the manager, the tools, the first 90 days. Buzzword soup is a flag.
• Look for pay. Serious, funded roles increasingly post a range. Perpetual silence on pay, across every posting, is worth noting.
• Cross-check the careers page. If the role isn't on the company's own site, ask why.

Then apply smart

When a role passes the check, apply early and tailor your résumé to it. When it fails, skip it or log it — on GhostProofJob every company carries a community ghosting-risk score, so you can see how others fared before you invest an hour.

Guidance from the GhostProofJob team, based on community ghost reports and verified-employer signals.