If you keep applying to roles that never seem to close, you might be talking to ghosts.

A closer look

If you keep applying to roles that never seem to close, you might be talking to ghosts. Many companies now post evergreen job listings for positions they are not urgently hiring for, just to collect resumes, gauge salary expectations, or signal growth to investors. Some leave filled roles online for months because taking them down is a low priority or because it makes their headcount look flexible. For applicants, this warps reality: it feels like there are tons of openings, yet interviews never materialize. To protect your time, watch for red flags like vague start dates, recycled descriptions, or postings older than 60 days with no updates on the company page. When possible, ask early in the process whether the role is budgeted and approved for this quarter. Your effort deserves more than feeding a spreadsheet of future possibilities.