Is this USAJOBS listing real? What USAJOBS shows you — and what it hides
93.9%
of ghost-job signal weight is verifiable on USAJOBS before you apply
(rank 1 of 10 boards; the average is 76.2%)
The metadata signals on USAJOBS
| Signal | Visible? | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| No salary range listed | yes | Every announcement publishes the pay scale and range — required, not optional. |
| Implausibly wide salary range | yes | Ranges follow published pay tables, so a multi-grade range is explained, not hidden. |
| Posting older than 30 days | yes | Every announcement shows open AND close dates — the only board in this set with a hard deadline on every listing. |
| Reposted again and again | partial | Re-announcements get new announcement numbers; you can spot a recycled req if you know to compare them. |
Always checkable: the text signals
These 7 flags live in the description text itself, so they're detectable on any board — paste the listing into the checker and they're scored instantly: Vague or stacked job title, Boilerplate, buzzword-heavy description, No named hiring manager or contact, 'Always hiring' / talent-pipeline language, Urgent hiring, zero specifics, No concrete details anywhere, Hidden or masked employer.
The USAJOBS-specific move
Pro tip: The close date is your friend: a real federal req ends. If the 'same' role reappears under a new announcement number repeatedly, that series is worth questioning.
Check a listing now: the free checker tests this flag (and the other ten) against any pasted listing — with the matched evidence. No signup.
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