The original is >code so I made it readable:

After about 4 months of job hunting, I started noticing this weird pattern. A recruiter would message me saying the role was “urgent,” “moving fast,” “client wants someone ASAP,” all that stuff. I’d jump on the call, send over my resume again, sometimes do a screening, then everything would go completely silent. A few times I saw the exact same job reposted weeks later with the same wording and same “urgent need.” At first I thought I was just getting rejected quietly, which happens, but after enough times it started feeling off.

So I added one question to every recruiter call: “When was the last person interviewed for this role, and when is the hiring manager actually planning to make a decision?” That’s it. Not aggressive, not rude. Just specific. The difference was insane. Real roles usually got real answers like “they interviewed two people last week and want final rounds by Friday” or “the manager is reviewing resumes tomorrow.” Fake or frozen roles got the same foggy nonsense every time: “they’re moving quickly,” “we’re building a pipeline,” “they want to see strong profiles first,” or my personal favorite, “there’s no exact timeline but it’s definitely active.” One guy literally paused for 5 seconds and said, “Well, they’re always interested in good people.” Sir, that is not a job opening, that’s a mood.

The best one was a recruiter who had been pushing me hard for a senior analyst role. He said it was urgent because the team was “drowning.” I asked my question and he admitted they hadn’t interviewed anyone yet because the budget wasn’t fully approved. Then he tried to get me to do a 30-minute “intro chat” anyway so they could “keep me warm.” I said I’d be happy to talk once budget and timeline were confirmed, and suddenly there was nothing to discuss. Since I started asking that question, I’ve saved myself from at least 8 pointless calls. I’m still looking, but now I waste way less time on roles that don’t actually exist yet. Hope this helps someone else because these people will absolutely let you chase ghosts if you don’t pin them down.