You find a vacancy that looks ideal. The firm is one you have wanted to work for, the role suits your experience and the salary is within your expectations. You spend an evening updating your CV, write a cover letter and submit your application. Then you wait.
A week passes. Then another. The advert is still online, but nobody responds. You start to wonder whether the firm is actually hiring.
This is one of the frustrations of searching for a job. Some employers take longer than expected to recruit, and some simply do not respond to every applicant. Others leave old adverts online after a vacancy has been filled. In more concerning cases, an employer may advertise a position without any immediate intention of hiring someone.
These listings are commonly known as ghost jobs.
For legal candidates, the wasted effort can be particularly frustrating. Applications for training contracts, vacation schemes, pupillage and qualified solicitor positions often require substantial preparation. Spending hours applying for a vacancy that is no longer available takes time away from opportunities that deserve your attention.
There is no foolproof way to identify every ghost job before applying. However, you can learn to recognise warning signs, check whether an opportunity is genuine and make better use of your time. Choosing where you search for legal jobs also matters.
What are ghost jobs?
A ghost job is generally understood to be a vacancy advertised without a genuine, immediate intention to fill the position. The term is also used for adverts that remain online after recruitment has stopped or a position has been filled.
Not every unanswered application involves a ghost job. A law firm may be interviewing candidates, waiting for internal approval or dealing with an unexpected change in its recruitment plans. A lengthy recruitment process does not necessarily mean anything is wrong.
The distinction matters because candidates should not assume that an employer is acting dishonestly simply because it has taken several weeks to respond.
Still, some warning signs deserve attention. A vacancy that has been advertised repeatedly for months, a job description that reveals almost nothing about the work, or a recruiter who cannot confirm whether the position is open may warrant further investigation.
There is also a separate risk of fraudulent job adverts. These may use the name of a genuine law firm to obtain personal information, identity documents or money from unsuspecting applicants. A ghost job and a recruitment scam are not the same thing, but both can waste your time and expose you to unnecessary risks.
Check whether the law firm is actually hiring
Before preparing an application, visit the employer's official careers page and look for the vacancy.
Check the job title, location, responsibilities and application deadline. If the advert concerns a training contract, for example, make sure the recruitment year and intake dates match the information published by the firm. For a paralegal or solicitor position, check whether the practice area and office location correspond with the advertised role.
If the vacancy appears on a job board but not on the firm's website, that does not automatically make it suspicious. Some employers recruit through specialist agencies or external job boards. In that situation, contact the recruitment team using details found independently on the firm's official website.
You can also check the firm's website, social media and recent recruitment announcements. If the employer has stated that applications have closed but an old advert remains online elsewhere, ask whether the position is still available.
These checks take only a few minutes and can save you from preparing an application for a role that has already been filled.
Look for signs that an advert is outdated
Pay attention to how long a vacancy has been advertised. A role that has appeared repeatedly over several months may still be genuine, especially if the employer is looking for someone with a particular specialism. However, it is worth checking whether the listing is current.
Some job boards refresh old adverts or display the date on which a listing was reposted. As a result, a vacancy marked as newly posted may have been circulating for weeks or months.
Look at the original publication date if it is available. Check whether the application deadline has passed and whether the same position appears elsewhere with different dates or requirements.
For example, a firm might have a paralegal vacancy listed with a closing date in September, while another website continues to invite applications in October. The discrepancy could simply be the result of an outdated listing, but you should confirm the position before applying.
Be particularly cautious when the advert has been reposted several times without any apparent change. If the employer cannot explain whether recruitment is still taking place, consider focusing on other vacancies.
Read the job description carefully
A credible job advert should give you enough information to understand what the employer needs.
For a legal position, look for details about the practice area, responsibilities, required qualifications, level of experience and location. The advert should explain what the successful candidate is expected to do, even if some details about the employer or client must remain confidential.
An advert that consists of little more than an impressive job title and a promise of excellent career prospects tells you very little. If it also lacks meaningful responsibilities, clear requirements and a reliable application route, investigate further.
The same applies to vacancies with inconsistent information. A role described as a permanent solicitor position on one website but as a short-term paralegal contract on another needs clarification.
Of course, not every poorly written advert is a ghost job. Recruitment descriptions are sometimes rushed, and employers do not always provide salary information. Look at the overall picture rather than relying on one missing detail.
Ask the recruiter a straightforward question
If you are interested in a vacancy but uncertain whether it remains open, contact the employer or recruiter before investing significant time in your application.
You could write:
"Hello, I am interested in the [job title] vacancy advertised on [website]. Could you please confirm whether the position is still open and whether applications are currently being considered? Thank you."
There is no need to suggest that the employer is advertising a ghost job. You simply want to establish whether the opportunity is active.
A clear response is reassuring. If the recruiter explains that the position has been placed on hold or filled, you can move on. If you receive no reply, do not assume that the vacancy is fake, but take the lack of confirmation into account alongside any other warning signs.
For confidential legal appointments, the employer's identity may not be disclosed immediately. In that case, check the recruitment agency's credentials and ask for enough information to assess the role before sharing sensitive details.
Be careful with vacancies that look too good to be true
A high salary, flexible working arrangements or an opportunity to join a prestigious firm can make a job advert particularly attractive. Those features are not suspicious on their own, but they should not prevent you from checking the details.
Suppose an advert offers an unusually high salary for an entry-level legal assistant, requires no relevant experience and promises an immediate appointment. The employer's identity is unclear, and the application form asks for identity documents before any meaningful contact has taken place. There are good reasons to pause.
Check whether the salary and responsibilities are consistent with comparable positions. Verify the employer independently and examine the application process.
Never pay a fee or deposit to secure a legal job. Be wary of requests for bank details or sensitive personal information before you have established who is recruiting and why the information is needed.
A genuine employer may need to verify your identity and right to work during recruitment. The important point is to ensure that the request comes through a legitimate, verified process.
Choose a legal job board that understands the profession
Where you search for jobs can make a difference to the quality of opportunities you encounter.
General job websites cover almost every industry. They can be useful, but legal vacancies may sit alongside thousands of unrelated positions, and candidates may have to spend considerable time filtering results to find relevant opportunities.
A specialist legal careers platform gives you a more focused place to look. Instead of searching across unrelated industries, you can concentrate on opportunities within the legal profession, from early-career positions to experienced and senior roles.
This is where eLawCareers comes in.
eLawCareers is a specialist careers network and job board built around the legal profession. It covers opportunities for aspiring lawyers and established legal professionals, including training contracts, vacation schemes, pupillage, apprenticeships, paralegal positions and qualified lawyer roles. It also caters to a wider range of legal careers, including support, business development, technology and management positions.
The aim is to make legal career opportunities easier to discover without forcing candidates to sift through a general jobs marketplace.
When using eLawCareers or any other job board, you should still check the details of a vacancy and confirm that it is active where necessary. A specialist platform cannot guarantee that an employer will never withdraw a role or leave an outdated advert online. What matters is having a relevant source of opportunities and taking sensible steps before applying.
For candidates who want to keep up with new openings, an eLawCareers account also provides access to features such as job alerts and saved adverts. Candidates can explore vacancies without an account, while registering offers additional tools to organise a job search.
You can browse legal vacancies on eLawCareers and focus your search on opportunities relevant to your career plans.
Keep a record of the vacancies you find
If you are applying for several positions, keep a simple record of where each advert appeared and when you applied.
Include the job title, employer, source, publication date, application deadline and application date. You can also record whether you checked the employer's official website or contacted the recruiter to confirm that the role was active.
This makes it easier to spot duplicate listings and vacancies that repeatedly reappear. It also helps you avoid applying twice for the same position under slightly different titles.
A record can be particularly useful when applying for training contracts and vacation schemes, where application windows and eligibility requirements vary between firms. You can keep track of closing dates and give priority to opportunities that require action soon.
If an advert disappears after you apply, do not immediately assume that the firm has filled the position. Employers sometimes remove listings when they have received enough applications or moved to the next recruitment stage. If you are concerned, check with the recruiter.
Do not mistake silence for proof of a ghost job
Legal recruitment can be slow. Larger firms may have several interview stages, while smaller practices may need to balance recruitment with client work. Some employers receive hundreds of applications and cannot provide individual feedback to every candidate.
If you have not heard back after a few days, that alone tells you very little.
Check the advertised recruitment timetable and allow a reasonable period for a response. If the deadline has passed or the employer gave you a specific date for an update, a polite follow-up is appropriate.
If there is still no response, continue applying elsewhere rather than putting your search on hold. You can remain interested in a vacancy without making it the centre of your job search.
If you discover that a role has been withdrawn, ask whether the employer expects to recruit again. There is no guarantee that your application will be considered for a future opening, so treat any such possibility as an option rather than a promise.
Report suspicious or outdated listings
If you find an advert that appears to be expired, misleading or fraudulent on eLawCareers, notify us. Provide the job title, employer and relevant evidence, such as a conflicting deadline or confirmation from the employer that recruitment has ended.
Avoid making public accusations based solely on the fact that you did not receive a response. There may be reasons for the delay that you cannot see.
If you suspect a scam, do not send further documents or money. Keep copies of the communications and report the listing through the platform's reporting process. If you have already shared sensitive information, take appropriate steps to protect yourself.
Reporting questionable listings can help platforms review their content and make the job search more reliable for other candidates.
Make your legal job search more productive
Searching for a legal job requires time, patience and careful preparation. You may need to tailor your CV, research a firm, prepare application questions and meet strict deadlines. That effort is worthwhile when directed towards a genuine opportunity.
Before applying, check the employer, review the advert, look at the dates and ask questions if something does not add up. Do not treat every delayed response as evidence of a ghost job, but do not ignore repeated warning signs either.
It also helps to start with a source that focuses on the careers you want to pursue. eLawCareers provides a dedicated place to explore legal vacancies, whether you are looking for your first opportunity in the profession or considering your next move as an experienced lawyer.
Your time is valuable. Spend it researching employers, preparing strong applications and pursuing opportunities that have a credible basis, rather than repeatedly chasing vacancies you cannot verify.