Have you ever found an interesting online job posting, took a couple of days to respond, and by the time you did, poof, it was gone? Yikes! It can be frustrating! How could that happen that fast?
There are a couple of primary reasons why a job posting can disappear quickly:
1) The company might already have a person they want to hire
That’s great news if you are that person! If not, the company might already have someone in mind. If they plan on doing an internal promotion from within the company, they still need to put up a job posting to prove that they were searching for external candidates.
2) HR has specific guidelines
Sometimes, the Human Resources department of a company has specific guidelines on how long job descriptions must be posted to avoid claims of discrimination. This period could range from a couple of days to one or two weeks. This situation is particularly true for government jobs.
3) The company has limited resources
Maybe the company has limited resources and, so, limits the number of applications they will accept. After reaching that number, they bring the post down. If the Human Resources department only has enough staff to review 50 applicants for a particular job, there is no point in allowing 200 people to apply.
If you are the person they want to hire, just sit on your hands and let the process happen. If you are interested in a job, it is important to have your act together (like having a current resume and up-to-date LinkedIn profile) so you can apply as soon as you see the listing. Otherwise, it might be gone the next time you check!
Often, the trick behind getting a job is being in the right place at the right time with the right resume and training. I’ve been helping people get jobs for over 20 years. If you’re looking for guidance in your job search, please feel free to schedule a FREE consultation call. I would be happy to help you land the job of your dreams!