Why You Got Ghosted

Ghosting isn’t a new phenomenon, even if the official term for it has only been around for a few years. It means abruptly cutting off contact without giving that person any warning or explanation.

You hear about ghosting in dating, but it happens with other relationships too, like friendships or even work relationships. We can’t really help with the dating scene or offer advice on reviving that friendship… but we know a lot about maintaining professional relationships – especially nurturing good relationships with recruiters during your job search.

If you’re actively applying for jobs, or have sent your resume to a recruiting agency, it’s easy to feel like recruiters are ghosting you if you don’t hear from them for a few days. Before you jump to conclusions though, take a look at what might be going on:

How long has it been? If it’s only been a day or two since sending in your resume to a recruiting agency, don’t immediately think you’re being ghosted. It takes time to try and match you with a job position you might be qualified for and interested in. Plus, recruiters often work with many job seekers at a time… so while they’re going to work hard and do their best, there’s no guarantee it will be a really fast process. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t.

If you applied directly for a position a few days ago and haven’t heard anything back, don’t assume you’re being ghosted and just give up… it’s time to follow up! Discover who the best contact person is and send a follow up email, or make an even gutsier move… give them a call. There could be a dozen reasons why you haven’t heard back yet, and following up will help you figure out what to expect and whether you should keep trying or just move on.

What’s on your resume? Did you double check all the information on your resume? You’re only human after all… mistakes happen. Make sure you’ve included your correct contact information with no typos. Once you’ve confirmed the contact information you’ve given is correct, open those texts from an unknown number, and check your voicemail and email inbox – including your spam/junk folder. It’s easy for communication to get filtered and lost, so check all these places on a regular basis.

Are you being realistic? Are your job search expectations realistic? If your skills and qualifications are way out of line with a position’s requirements, or your compensation expectations don’t align with the position’s pay scale… you might actually be getting ghosted.

We always encourage job seekers to take a chance and try to expand their experiences, however it’s unrealistic to expect to be considered for a highly-skilled position with only a year of relevant experience. Or if you’ve told a recruiter you’re only interested in opportunities paying $20+/hour, but the market-based pay scale for the type of position you’re interested in tops out around $17/hour, it’s unlikely they’re going to be able to find something for you.

Keep in mind that recruiters aren’t going to waste your time (or theirs!) by calling just to let you know they haven’t found anything you might be a good fit for. That doesn’t necessarily mean you got ghosted… it just means the process can take some time.

But if you aren’t realistic with your expectations or skills, qualifications, and work history… it’s possible you got ghosted.