<aside> 💡 Understanding the ins and outs of the job descriptions will allow you not to waste time. If you are speaking to Recruiters or Talent teams make sure you get a Job description as a minimum (this may not be the case for contract due to that nature of contracting and turn around)
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You can learn a lot about a company from the descriptions of their roles. The application process provides an opportunity for an employer to evaluate a potential employee, scanning for red flags, but the reverse of this is also very true.
As a job-seeker, it’s important to understand the steps involved in creating a job description, especially in large companies, to give you the best chance of choosing the roles that are right for you, as early as possible.
Next time a job description catches your eye, keep in mind these seven considerations.
The specificity of a job description is often related to the size of an organisation. Larger, more established organisations are likely to have hired for this role previously, so will have a standardised approach. A smaller business will probably be doing this for the first time, so will provide a more personalised description of the role and the wider business.
In either case, you should see as an absolute minimum:
Stay clear of overly open-ended language and buzzwords. A solid description will focus on key responsibilities, expectations and deliverables. If these are not clear in the job description, but you are still keen to apply, be sure to ask the hiring manager during the interview process.
Example:
It is not uncommon to see salary information left out of a job description. However, a lack of clear salary details gives employers a greater opportunity to negotiate the salary in their favour.
The same can be said for an extremely wide salary range. A wide salary range can be immediately appealing, as you are drawn to the highest potential earning rate.