How to identify jobs that are actually hiring

The best way to figure out if a role is active is to see where it is posted. While companies might post openings on their website just to collect resumes, if they’re sharing across LinkedIn and other job boards, it is probably an active opening. Those postings cost money and create work for internal teams, so if a role is posted in multiple locations, it is probably an active opening. That said, if a role is posted in a dozen different locations but not on the company website, proceed with caution applying anywhere else. The company website is likely the easiest for them to put up and take down so you can assume they will remove it there first once filled. 

The best sign to look out for is if individuals from the organization are sharing the opening. Go to LinkedIn and look for the hiring manager and other team members. If people who work at the company are sharing the opening, that is a great sign that it is both active and urgent. If the hiring manager is sharing the role this is an especially great sign. Go ahead and apply and send them a nice message. Something along the lines of “Hi, just applied for this position. Looks like a great opportunity, I hope to get the chance to learn more.” You aren’t being pushy, just alerting them to your application. Make sure your LinkedIn is filled out and reflective of the resume you submitted. They will probably look at your profile and you want it to spark their interest. 

One sure sign of a real role is a specific and detailed job description. To get an opening approved, a hiring manager needs to identify a specific need and work with HR to get approval. A thought out job description means you’re seeing the end product of that process. Here is what to look for: a detailed team description, a “day in the life” or description of daily responsibilities, clear salary (or level) and benefits, and a skills or responsibilities section that makes sense based on what you know about your profession. 

Within a job description, there are some clear red flags to look out for. Laundry-lists of endless skills or requirements, unrealistic asks, skills/requirements that don’t go together, and overly broad descriptions of the opening, team, or needs of the business. This can mean that a company is just fishing for resumes and seeing what is out there, or at the very least, that the job description hasn’t been edited well and they don’t really know what they want.

One kind of job description you might come across- evergreen roles. These are postings that explicitly tell you they aren’t connected to a specific need, but rather an ongoing need within the company. Is it worth applying to? Absolutely. If a company has taken the time to post one of these, it is likely a truly continuous, active need. That said, you need to be prepared for the possibility that you don’t hear back immediately. If you’re really actively looking and would like to land something new soon, your effort might be better off spent elsewhere.

There is no way to know for sure which roles are most active and urgent. That said, there are plenty of red flags to look out for that can give you an indication of how seriously a company is hiring. Does one red flag mean it isn’t real or worth your effort? No, of course not. As a job seeker though, you need to spend your effort where it counts most. A cold application has a small chance of working out so don’t bother with job postings that don’t look complete.