Applying for a "ghost jobs" by accident? Look for these red flags 🚩

Ghosts, fake jobs, and spooky deception, oh my!

You're scrolling through Seek on your phone and you find an admin assistant role. It looks promising with great perks. However, something feels...not quite right. You research this role across other recruiting platforms and notice it has been posted many times. The dates and certain details don't match up.

What does this mean? Why would anyone post jobs with inconsistencies? What you’ve found is a ghost job. A job listing that looks legitimate but isn’t actively hiring. Knowing how to identify ghost jobs can protect your time, confidence, and job-search momentum.

When trying to spot a ghost job, watch out for:

• Inconsistent posting dates or repeated reposting.

• Unverified employers or listings.

• Duplicate job postings.

• Little to no advertising elsewhere.

• Missing or unclear company information.

• Unrealistic job perks.

A great way to identify these red flags is by practising how to spot them. The following examples are based on common patterns found in real ghost job listings.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Pay close attention to timelines when reviewing job listings - they can reveal more than you think.

Example

Part-Time Admin Assistant

Location: On site, Ohio

Posted: 2 months ago (reposted 3 hours ago)

106 Applications

About:

Don't Tread On Me Auto is a family-run mechanical workshop looking to expand its team by hiring an experienced admin assistant.

Responsibilities may include:

• Greeting and serving customers in a welcoming manner

• Scheduling client appointments and invoices using Monday.com

• Ordering parts and maintaining inventory

• Handling payments and performing basic bookkeeping using QuickBooks

Benefits:

• Staff discounts on mechanical repairs.

Posting date red flags:

• Old posting dates: Jobs listed 2+ months may no longer be actively hiring.

• Frequent reposting: Reposting despite high application numbers can be a warning sign.

• No closing date: A missing deadline may indicate the role isn’t a priority to fill, which is often a strong sign of a ghost job.

Be mindful of job listings that don't clearly explain the role or expectations:

Example

Part-Time Admin Assistant

Location: Canton, Ohio, On site

Posted: 2 weeks ago

22 Applications

About:

Looking for a superstar admin to join our awesome team at Fun House Warehouse! Are you a go-getter and like to work hard and play hard, then you are the perfect fit for our work family!

Responsibilities:

• Answering phone calls

• Supporting various departments

• Using great communication skills

• Experience with data

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation

Vague language red flags to look out for:

• Job titles: No level is mentioned (e.g. just "admin").

• Responsibilities: Daily tasks are unclear (e.g. "support various departments").

• Requirements: No specific skills or qualifications are listed.

• Benefits: "Competitive compensation" isn't explained.

• Buzzwords: Beware of terms like "superstar", "go-getter", "work hard and play hard", or "work family".

Be sure to look across other hiring platforms such as SEEK, Indeed, and LinkedIn to see if there are any duplicate copies of jobs.

Example

Part-Time Admin Assistant

Location: On site

Reposted: 5 hours ago

100 applicants

Looking for a superstar entry-level admin to join our awesome team at Teeth R Us.

Responsibilities:

• Scheduling (e.g. confirming books and rescheduling appointments)

• Office management (e.g. restocking inventory)

• Finance management (e.g. managing invoices, insurance claims and other financial duties)

• Patient service interactions (e.g. managing check ins, phone calls)

Application closing date: 5 March 2026

Job duplicate red flags to look out for:

• Different posting dates: The same job shows different dates across platforms.

• Frequent reposting: Identical listings reposted within short timeframes.

• Inconsistent details: Small differences in the same job ad (e.g. dates, responsibilities, or requirements).

Put your reg flag detection skills to test and spot the warning signs of a ghost job.

Below is a job advertisement that has been identified as a ghost job. Your task is to identify all the red flags that suggest it isn't a genuine opportunity.

Education Assistant (Level 4)

Location: Sydney, Homebush (On-site)

Posted: 1 month ago (reposted 1 hour ago)

We are looking for a superstar education assistant with a passion for learning to join our work/learning family at Lilly Pad Fun Learning. If you want a challenging but rewarding change of pace, apply today!

Requirements:

• A can-do attitude

• Passion for learning

• Valid driver's license and access to a car

Responsibilities:

• Facilitating learning

• Support various faculties

• Using strong communication skills

• Creating a range of materials

Benefits:

• Free tea, coffee and biscuits

• Subsided staff fees for enrolling your own children

• Free staff parking

Keep an eye out for ghost jobs and their red flags on your job hunt!