Many out-of-work Kiwis are currently trawling the job-seeker sites, spending hours on their resumé and cover letters only to be met with radio silence.
It's easy to think your application simply wasn't good enough but, in some cases, it might not be you - because the job itself didn't even exist.
A new phenomenon called 'ghost jobs' has been infiltrating the job market overseas and could be happening in New Zealand too.
Ghost jobs are advertised positions that have either been filled, or the employer has no intention of filling them.
Success HR managing director Graham Rodgers told AM there are many reasons why ghost ads are popping up.
He said some agencies continue to advertise for the same role to try and fill casual positions, while others do it to give the impression their organisation is thriving.
Others may put up false ads to target international candidates in need of a visa, and then charge them a fee to promote their resumé in New Zealand.
Rodgers added some employment sites trawl through job advertisements online and put them up on their website to show they've got a lot of listings.
"I've had people call me and apply for a job that I listed in 2018. When I explain that it's no longer around, they get quite upset with that," Rogers told co-host Lloyd Burr.
Rogers said the key to figuring out whether an ad is real is to call the company or agency that has put the listing up.
"We see so many people now who are reluctant to pick up the phone," he said. "Call the advertiser, call the agency who's put the listing up."
Watch the full interview above.
Newshub.
