# Four Rounds. Four Weeks. One Ghost Job.

**[TRUE STORY]** — by Software engineer · mid-sized tech · via r/jobsearchhacks

A job seeker at a mid-sized tech company cleared four interview rounds over four weeks: a phone screen, a hiring manager interview, a four-hour unpaid take-home assignment, and a final panel with three interviewers. Two days after the final round, a recruiter emailed to say the company had "decided to freeze the headcount" for the rest of the year — but would keep the resume on file. The candidate then saw the exact same job reposted on LinkedIn, timestamped two hours earlier. A roommate applied using a fake name and a slightly adjusted resume. Within ten minutes, an automated email declared the role "filled" — even though the listing remained active. A Glassdoor check turned up three other reviews from the past six months describing the identical sequence: all four rounds, a phantom hiring freeze, and an immediate repost.

*Source: [r/jobsearchhacks · via Cheezburger](https://cheezburger.com/45508357/)*
[← Back to stories](https://www.goodbyeinterview.com/stories.md)
[Corrections](https://www.goodbyeinterview.com/corrections.md)