Ghost jobs: how to tell if a posting is real before you tailor your resume

Ghost jobs—listings that stay open for months with no intent to hire—dominate r/recruitinghell. Tailoring a resume for a phantom role wastes hours.

**Red flags** - Reposted every 30 days with identical text. - Vague "evergreen" language and no hiring manager name. - Company known for resume harvesting.

**Protect your time** Prioritize referrals and postings with recent activity. Do a lightweight fit check first; save deep curation for roles with clear timelines and realistic requirements.

You cannot eliminate ghosts, but you can **tier your effort**: quick apply with baseline resume vs full Curator pass for high-confidence targets.