←back to thread

Why is it so hard to find a job now? Enter Ghost Jobs

(arxiv.org)
391 points JSeymourATL | 2 comments | 14 Nov 24 14:35 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
Show context
bradley13 ◴[14 Nov 24 15:10 UTC] No.42136901[source]▶
I once applied for a job that precisely matched my qualifications. It was crazy - the job description could have been written by someone looking at my CV.

I didn't even get an interview. Likely no one did.

It wasn't a ghost job, though. It was a position created for a someone they wanted to hire. Being a public institution, they were required to advertise positions. That didn't mean that they actually wanted any of the candidates who applied.

replies(15): >>42137039 #>>42137115 #>>42137277 #>>42137590 #>>42137751 #>>42137990 #>>42138291 #>>42138836 #>>42139139 #>>42139441 #>>42139450 #>>42139563 #>>42139682 #>>42139867 #>>42140199 #
htrp ◴[14 Nov 24 16:08 UTC] No.42137590[source]▶
I once applied for my own job req (a JD I wrote for a role on my own team), and the HR system automatically kicked my resume out for being unqualified.
replies(3): >>42137733 #>>42139541 #>>42140600 #
lowercased ◴[14 Nov 24 16:21 UTC] No.42137733[source]▶
Interesting. Every recruiter on linkedin will swear blind that technology doesn't work like that, and they have to manually sort through and review hundreds of applications, and ATS don't just blindly trash/delete applications. But I can't believe your situation did not happen, and that similar things aren't happening regularly.
replies(2): >>42137773 #>>42139006 #
htrp ◴[14 Nov 24 16:23 UTC] No.42137773[source]▶
Sorry I should have clarified.

The ATS doesn't kick out your resume automatically, it just fails to include you in the 25 top candidates that get forwarded on to the hiring manager.

It was very sad to see that my resume didn't make it for a job description that I wrote based on my resume.

replies(1): >>42137836 #
hobs ◴[14 Nov 24 16:29 UTC] No.42137836[source]▶
Yep, they love a giant database filled with candidates they will never check out.
replies(1): >>42138405 #
georgeecollins ◴[14 Nov 24 17:13 UTC] No.42138405[source]▶
To me this is like: Why work for a big company? I worked for a big company once and did not like it. Kids out of college are always drawn to the big names, and they can look good on your resume.

My feeling is, if you want to work for a big company, work for a small one and make it big. I can say from experience that turns out really well.

replies(2): >>42139308 #>>42139440 #
1. throwaway2037 ◴[14 Nov 24 18:28 UTC] No.42139440{3}[source]▶

    > Why work for a big company?
Most large corps have higher total comp compared to smaller corps.
replies(1): >>42139726 #
2. georgeecollins ◴[14 Nov 24 18:52 UTC] No.42139726[source]▶
Maybe, I don't really have data on that but there's a huge range for both. I would say, think about your career, its growth and longevity. Posters on HN have pointed out some large companies that have a habit of laying people off before they fully vest. And there is the whole challenge of getting meaningful responsibility in a large organization. Everyone thinks when they are starting out that they are going to march up the organizational ladder.

Everything I am saying is anecdote, not data, but I have seen people propel themselves up into large organizations by being entrepreneurs. I think of a friend who worked for a bit for a large company, had a start up with mixed results, and then went back to another large company as an SVP. I don't know if that person would have gotten their marching through the ranks.