For nearly 40–50 years, candidates operated in a one-way universe.

A student wrote a letter.

Later, an email.

Then uploaded a CV.

And then… nothing.

No receipt.

No acknowledgment.

No closure.

Candidates waited for weeks, sometimes months, refreshing inboxes, second-guessing themselves. 

Employers didn’t intend to ghost, but structurally, ghosting was built into the system.

Power sat entirely with employers because information sat with employers.

This was the age of:

•    Silent rejection
•    One-sided patience
•    Normalised uncertainty