Job Safety · Job Verification
How to Check If a Job Posting Is Real
5 minutes. No tools. Find out if a job posting is worth your time before you spend hours on an application going nowhere.
Job Verification
How to Check If a Job Posting Is Real
Jan Tegze
About This Guide
A clear system for the whole job search
You spent two hours on an application. Tailored resume. Focused cover letter. Then nothing. The listing is still up three weeks later. That silence might not be about you. It might be about a posting nobody is actively filling.
This guide gives you a fast, no-nonsense way to check any job before you invest your time. The 10-Point Ghost Job Check walks you through exactly what to look for: posting age and activity, job description red flags, company hiring health, application process signals, and how to tell a ghost job from a scam.
You will know when to apply with full effort, when to send a quick version and move on, and when to skip it entirely. This is not career advice. It is a decision tool.
What's Inside
Everything you need to stay on track
Posting age & activity
How long it's been up, and whether anyone is actually processing applicants.
Description red flags
The wording patterns that mark postings nobody intends to fill.
Company hiring health
Quick signals that tell you whether the company is really hiring.
Ghost job vs. scam
Two different problems with two different responses — learn to tell them apart.
The 5-minute decision
Apply with full effort, send a quick version, or skip it entirely.
Who It's For
This guide is for you if you are…
- Job seekers tired of applying into silence
- Anyone suspicious of listings that stay up for months
- People who tailor every application and want to spend that effort wisely
- Candidates who want a fast go/no-go call before investing hours
Keep Going
More Job Safety guides
How to Spot Fake Job Postings Before You Apply
Learn how to tell a real job posting from a scam using simple red flags, checklist scoring, and independent verification.
How to Spot Fake Recruiters and Recruitment Scams
Protect yourself from fake recruiter scams with profile checks, job offer red flags, recruiter verification steps, and recovery actions.
Run the check. Make the call.
Get the decision tool and find out in 5 minutes if a posting is worth your hours.