A viral Reddit thread documents the frustrating reality of applying to jobs that seem designed never to be filled.
A Reddit thread titled 'Seriously, what's with all these ghost jobs in SG?' has exploded to over 800 upvotes and 200 comments, with job seekers sharing eerily similar experiences of mass applications that disappear into digital silence. Users document sending 50-100+ applications over several months and receiving responses to fewer than 10, with many reporting zero acknowledgment even from roles matching their exact qualifications and salary expectations. One user shared a spreadsheet tracking 147 applications over three months, with only 12 generating any response and just 3 leading to actual interviews. The thread has become a central hub for job seekers comparing notes on which companies and recruiters consistently post positions that seem designed never to be filled.
The forum discussions reveal patterns suggesting these aren't simply high-competition roles but potential 'phantom postings' - jobs listed to collect resumes, maintain corporate presence on job boards, or fulfill regulatory requirements without genuine hiring intent. Multiple users report seeing identical job descriptions reposted monthly by the same companies, sometimes for years, yet never knowing anyone who actually got hired for these positions. HardwareZone forum users add technical sector examples, with several IT professionals noting that certain MNCs continuously advertise for 'urgent' developer roles while simultaneously implementing hiring freezes or replacing teams with contractors.
The most upvoted advice in these threads focuses on identifying genuine hiring signals versus ghost postings, with experienced job seekers sharing detection strategies. Top-rated tips include avoiding jobs posted by third-party recruiters without company names, being skeptical of positions requiring 'immediate start' yet taking months to respond, and red-flagging roles with suspiciously perfect qualification matches. Forum users also recommend focusing on smaller local companies and startups, which show higher actual hiring rates compared to large corporations maintaining ghost job portfolios.
This forum intelligence suggests job seekers should dramatically reduce application volume while increasing research quality, focusing on companies with demonstrable recent hiring activity visible through LinkedIn updates or employee announcements. The collective wisdom emphasizes direct networking approaches over mass applications, with successful job seekers reporting better results from reaching out to actual hiring managers via LinkedIn than submitting applications through corporate portals.
The ghost jobs phenomenon appears to be worsening based on forum sentiment tracking, with users noting increased frequency since early 2025. This trend demands more strategic, targeted job search approaches rather than traditional spray-and-pray application methods.