Jobseeker visits 7 offices looking for work, discovers bizarre pattern as some listings lead to ‘ghost company’ locations

In a job market where most hiring has quietly moved online, one jobseeker decided to try something different and older by walking into offices and asking for work. What followed was a long day of confusion, awkward conversations, and in some cases, buildings that didn’t even seem to house real companies.

The account, shared on Reddit, comes from a software engineering jobseeker who said he had been unemployed for a long time and was trying anything that might work. Acting on a friend’s advice to “just walk into businesses and ask,” the person printed out resumes, dressed formally, and visited seven companies in their college town that had advertised developer roles.

“I tried walking into companies in my town and asking for jobs as an SWE today and guess what? Not a god damn thing happened,” the post begins.


The experience quickly turned discouraging. At two larger firms, the applicant said they were stopped at the front desk and told to apply online instead. “Each time I was looked at like an alien and they told me to apply online and wouldn't accept a paper resume,” he wrote.

Smaller companies did not offer much more clarity. One firm reportedly told the jobseeker that the role listed online had been accidentally reposted and was no longer open. Another accepted the resume but still insisted that a formal online application was required.

“I walked in and said the same thing above. 1 company told me that the position on LinkedIn was accidentally reposted and they needed to take it down because ‘its been months’ and the other was kind and took my resume but asked me to apply online,” the user explained.

The pattern pointed to a broader issue many applicants complain about: outdated job listings that remain active long after positions are filled or paused.

‘Just a ghost company’

The most unusual part of the day came when the jobseeker tried to locate three of the listed companies. According to the post, two addresses led to empty buildings with no visible activity.

“2 times I drove to the location of a company and the building was just empty. No mail, no signs, no people. Just a ghost company,” he wrote.

At another location, the applicant described entering a largely empty space with only two people working on laptops, who appeared confused by the inquiry and asked them to leave. “It was so strange,” the post added.

Online hiring has replaced walk-ins

The story struck a chord with many users, who said the approach of handing out resumes in person has largely disappeared, especially in corporate and tech roles. One commenter said, “just randomly walking in off the street to get an office job stopped working decades ago,” pointing to tighter security and remote hiring processes.

Others echoed similar experiences, saying even when resumes are accepted at reception desks, they often go nowhere. A user claimed managers may politely take printed resumes but discard them later, as most companies now rely on digital systems.

At the same time, some pointed out that in-person applications can still work in limited cases, particularly in retail, restaurants, or small businesses, though even there, candidates are usually asked to apply online first.

Looking back, the original poster summed up the effort bluntly: “So yeah, wasted a day on this.”

Still, a few commenters argued the attempt was not entirely pointless, noting it helped reveal which listings were outdated, which companies were unresponsive, and how hiring actually works today.