The Challenge of Ghost Jobs

If you are a security job seeker looking for a challenging new role, you have many sources available to you. Tap into job boards, recruitment companies and peer and social media networks, but be cautious. Not every job you see or hear about is real.

The One That Disappeared

How often have you seen a job listed on one of the big aggregators, clicked through it, and found it is no longer available on the hiring company’s website? It is quite common and a very frustrating experience. Especially if it was a job you were super interested in.

A job that disappears from a job board or company website can be exactly what it seems on the surface. The company posted the job and has closed it. The position is no longer available. The job board has neglected to pull the listing down.

Or the company may never have listed the job at all. The position got scraped by the job board. This is a process by which they run programs that harvest and display jobs from company websites regardless of whether the job is open or closed.

If you see a job on a large board you are interested in, research it on the hiring company’s website. Find out from a credible source if it is still active.

The One That Is Ancient History

Companies sometimes sign on to a multi-month listing option offered by some of the large boards. If the contract is for a single job and not one that the company can vary at will, the job will appear for the contracted period, regardless of whether it is still open or was filled …

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