Are you wasting time applying for a fake job posting? Learn how to identify real job opportunities and increase your chances of landing your dream job.
Ever heard how people say hunting for a job is a job in itself? Especially in these times when you are saddled with competition left, right, and center, and you need to ensure that you are the best candidate for the role.
But how would you feel if, after all that hard work, you found out that the job posting was just for show? Personally, I’d lose it. Hunt down that HR. Something despicable!
Okay, maybe not that far. But it would hurt like hell! And the truth of the matter is, there are actually some job postings that really aren’t hiring– they’re up for eye service! How can you tell which you should apply for? We’ve got a few quick tips to help!
Why are ‘Job Postings For Show’ Even a Thing?
Here’s the thing. If you’ve been around the job hunting block for a while, you’ll learn that sometimes an employer will indeed post a role they’re hiring for publicly, without the intention of actually accepting any applications, at least not from the outside.
They already have their candidate– probably an internal hire/ talent; but they are legally required to make an external post. This is not to say that it’s so much of a common practice, but when it does happen, it’s more likely to be a government agency (it happens everywhere, folks, not just here) or contractors. Apparently this is just to maintain a picture of being fair and all that.
And phantom job postings are absolutely not illegal— even if they may waste valuable time or, as the kids say, give the ick. In fact, so long as the recruiters aren’t discriminating in any form, it’s all good. That sucks because usually, these jobs look pretty good, with some great benefits.
Enough of the doom and gloom; here’s how to know whether a job posting is for external applicants or just for ‘vibes.’ At the very least, you make your job search more efficient, and at best, you verify you’re eligible for a seemingly cool job posting.
An Informational Call Is Your Best First Step
One of the best advice I’ve ever received was, “Always ask questions.” No matter what, seeking clarity can do you a world of good, whether you’re looking for directions to a location or figuring out how to handle a task. In the same vein, setting up an informational call will give you the answers to whether a job posting is open for external applications. Or not.
As a potential employee, I get that you may feel like you’re doing too much by asking for this, but it’s actually well within your rights. You just want to know more about the organization and job. However, don’t be pushy about it— it may be a right for you, but the organization is not obliged to answer this request.
Try to ask for the meeting in a low-commitment manner, simply asking for about 10 minutes or so, and you’re more likely to get a yes. And while it’s not always possible, it’s better to speak to someone you know at the company than a random person. Of course, you may not know anyone there, so try a third-party connection.
In other words, someone you know who is a mutual with an employee of the company. It may be a former colleague, or maybe you went to the same universities— however casual the relationship may be, that connection can go a long way.
It’s Question Time!
So, you’ve got the call set up. What questions will make it an effective use of your time and resources? How do you ask these million-dollar questions?
Tact, as always, is your greatest ally. You shouldn’t be so… “bold”… with how you ask about the availability of the role. A good way to be tactful about this is to ask questions on the hiring process instead of directly inquiring about the role. Ask questions like
“Are they already interviewing any candidates?”
“Why do you think they’re hiring for this role?”
“What stage of the interview process are they at?”
If you want to be a little more direct about the job posting, here’s an even better one: “Do you think it’s worth my time applying for this vacancy?”. This way, you’ll approach the matter with the delicate skill of an experienced surgeon, as opposed to the barging nature of asking if the job is only available to internal candidates.
Another question you could ask is if the company prefers to hire internal candidates for vacancies in general if you want to be coy or if vacancies are open to existing employees before being posted publicly. You could use any of these questions, but if you’re super close, it shouldn’t matter— you could just be blunt.
It’s not always rosy… but there’s a silver lining!
Now, you may not get the answers you’re looking for. What are the odds that the person you know/ contact works in the HR department and knows enough to answer your questions succingtly? I wouldn’t bet on it.
But that doesn’t mean this interview is a waste of time. Au contraire my fine friend.
You can still glean something, and maybe even the lack of answers is an answer. This chat, however informational, can give you some insight into not just the company’s hiring process but its internal structure as well. And instead of applying blindly, you can tell if it will be worth your time. Or not.
After all, the key to an efficient job search is the quality of your applications, not how many you apply to. It’s better to focus your resources elsewhere, than to shoot blindly and hope.
Hey, and if you see that it’s a job posting for you, then you get information that puts you better placed to succeed. Things like how to customize your resume and cover letter accordingly, a referral, or even a direct link to the HR manager are priceless resources to have!
Good luck!
Dami from Simplvest 🚀
