Just Got Blanked: Aussie Expats Ghosted by Employers

That is a strike rate of just 20 per cent. Reynolds says the applications were only part of his effort. "Alongside those applications, I spent a lot of time messaging people directly, arranging coffees and following up," he said.

His visa shaped the search. A working holiday visa limits how long a person can work for one employer, so he needed a company willing to consider sponsorship. He wanted a longer-term role rather than moving from contract to contract.

Silence after interviews

Sophie Carlton-Greaves, 24, finished her PhD and began looking for work in sports science last year. She applied for around 25 roles and heard back from five hirers. She found herself in the same visa limbo as Reynolds.

The silence continued even after interviews. "I expected some applications to go unanswered, but it was frustrating when I went through multiple interview stages and then never heard anything back," she said.

She said even a little feedback would have helped her understand what to improve. Her field is competitive, with few jobs available. Many graduates wait for someone to leave, which she says happens maybe once a year after a season.

Feeling like a stalker

Lucy Farmer, 28, moved from Britain to Australia two years ago and searched for work in transport planning. She sent 80 applications and estimates she heard nothing back from about 70 per cent of them.

"It's more common not to hear back and not to get responses in Australia," Farmer said. In London, she said, you might not get feedback, but you would still get a yes or no.

She admits some of her choices were ambitious. Still, she was surprised to be ghosted on more junior roles. Listings often had no contact details for the person managing the role.

So she added company staff on LinkedIn and asked them for coffee. "And then just got blanked. So that was really frustrating," Farmer said.

What employers say

Employment Hero says around 22 per cent of applicants lose interest while waiting too long to hear back. That is a key reason companies lose good candidates, despite a healthy jobseeker economy.

David Holland, Employment Hero's managing director of talent solutions, says this is not for lack of trying. He said behind every ghosted CV there is likely a recruitment team or business owner struggling to keep up with compliance.