Job descriptions can often blur into one. Companies are constantly looking for a “motivated and self-directed individual” who can “hit the ground running” in an “exciting and fast-paced environment.”
Reading that, you have no idea if they’re talking about a senior-level finance position or a preschool teacher. It’s not like there’s ever a job description that says a business is seeking a “lazy individual” who “will require extensive training” in a “boring and tedious environment.”
You may think that being creative is the only way to hook people and get them to read your description. But for job hunters, the opposite is true. All that filler language doesn’t mean a lot to the typical job seeker. Candidates are looking for a job, not a good story.
To keep reading, click here: This Is How You Write a Job Description That Candidates Will Actually Read
Oh heck yes, please be as specific as you can. I’m working within the confines of a learning disability, and I’ve been burned by not knowing what the job entailed. So I really want to know if you need someone who can do accounting, budgeting, or expenses because then I can self-select out and not waste my time or yours. I’ve learned to ask in the phone screen if this applies, so we don’t have to arrange an interview if I don’t feel like it’s something I can do.
Also, what is a fast-paced environment, anyway? Tons of work, or quick turnarounds?
It depends very much on the job, the industry, and the team / management. I’ve never had a job outside of food service lunch rushes that even came close to what that implies. So yeah, please describe what that looks like.
Yes, excellent advice … so simple and intuitive, but so very much needed.
Further, in today’s job market, when trying to find and hire top people, boilerplate job descriptions with a massive list of job duties and do’s and don’ts, and that’s all, aren’t going to cut it.
Your readers, recruiters, and especially hiring managers might also appreciate / benefit from, The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired: A Performance-based Hiring Handbook, by Lou Adler.