Question 4: Is This an Open Role or B.S.? Ghost Jobs and PR Trickery

Job postings used to mean something. Now? They might just be corporate fan fiction. In this episode, Josh digs into ghost jobs—roles that look real but never get filled. He unpacks the story of a product manager who applied with a referral and still never got seen, and talks with a career coach who’s helped hundreds navigate the same dead ends. Whether it’s PR spin, bench-building, or future-proofing a hiring freeze, these jobs waste more than time—they drain hope. And while we can’t stop companies from posting them, we can learn how to spot them sooner.

About The Job Market Sh*t Show:

The Job Market Sh*t Show is an investigation into how hiring actually works now, why the old rules no longer apply, and what’s quietly taking their place. It blends reporting, analysis, and firsthand stories from inside a labor market that feels increasingly automated, opaque, and indifferent to the people moving through it.