Free tool
Ghost job checker
Is that job posting real? Search any job on Jobily and see exactly which signals of an active search it shows and which it is missing. Free, no account needed, built for Canadian job seekers.
What is a ghost job?
A ghost job is a listing that is published but not actively being filled. The role may already be taken, the budget frozen, or the post kept up to collect résumés or to make a company look like it is growing. Every application costs you an evening, so it pays to spot them early.
How to spot a ghost job
No salary range
A team that is really hiring has usually budgeted the role. A posting with no pay range at all is one of the most common gaps on listings that go nowhere.
Old or untouched
A posting that has sat for six weeks or more without an update is often filled, frozen or forgotten. Check the posted date, not just a "new" badge a board adds.
The same listing, posted again
An identical title, company and location appearing more than once can mean a role that stays "open" to collect résumés rather than to fill a seat.
Vague pay language
Pay described only as "competitive", "DOE" or "TBD" tells you nothing, and listings with no real budget often read this way.
No reachable employer
No company website, careers page or LinkedIn presence makes a posting hard to verify. A real employer is easy to find.
A thin, generic description
A few lines that could fit any company, with no team, tools or responsibilities named, suggests nobody is invested in the hire.
Silence after you apply
An employer that never acknowledges applicants is worth noting. If people you know applied and heard nothing for weeks, weigh that.
What to do about one
- Look for the same role on the company’s own careers page.
- Ask the recruiter or hiring manager whether the role is still open before writing a cover letter.
- Put your time into postings with a stated salary and a recent date first.
- Don’t pour a week into one stale listing; spread your applications.
How Jobily checks postings
Every job on Jobily gets a Hiring Confidence level (Complete posting, Some gaps or Sparse posting) from fixed, auditable signals rather than a black-box model. See exactly how it works, or browse complete postings.
Common questions
What is a ghost job?
A ghost job is a listing that is published but not actively being filled. The role may already be taken or frozen, or the post may be kept up to collect résumés or to make a company look like it is growing.
Can this tool tell me for certain whether a job is real?
No. It describes the posting: whether the signals of an active search are there. A sparse posting can still be a real job, so treat the result as a reason to check with the employer, not as a verdict.
Which postings can I check?
Any job currently listed on Jobily. For a posting on another site, use the checklist on this page: the same signals apply anywhere.
How is the result worked out?
Each posting is scored on fixed, published signals such as a posted salary, how recently it was posted, how detailed the description is, whether it has been reposted, and whether the employer replies to applicants. The full method is on our Hiring Confidence page.
What should I do if a job looks like a ghost job?
Check the company’s own careers page for the same role, ask the recruiter whether it is still open, and put your time into postings with a stated salary and a recent date first.