Appreciation post: the term 'ghost job' finally helping me explain my job search to my parents

Honestly, I've been looking for work since October and kept hearing 'ghost job' online but thought it was just a buzzword. Then last week I applied to a posting that had been up for 4 months and got an auto-reply saying the position was filled internally. My dad kept saying I wasn't trying hard enough, but after I showed him three articles about companies posting fake listings, he finally got it. Now I can tell him 'that's a ghost job, Dad' instead of feeling like I'm making excuses. Has anyone else used this term with older relatives who think job hunting is still like the 90s?

2 comments

2 Comments

hall.nina1d ago

Right? It's crazy how fast it clicks for them once you put a name to it. Such a simple word but it really changes the conversation.

lewis.troy1d ago

The first time I saw it click was with my buddy Dave and his anxiety about driving on the highway. He'd been white-knuckling it for years (which is crazy because he's a really confident guy otherwise). Once I just said "hey, that's a classic avoidance loop" he stopped cold and was like "wait, what?" It was like flipping a switch - naming the pattern gave him something to grab onto instead of just feeling scared. Still took practice after that, but at least he had a way to talk about it without it being this big vague monster.