Job advertisements posted by companies in search of candidates are often more aspirational than realistic. They are trying to try to find the person that matches their needs and values the most, so even if you don’t fit every single criteria don’t despair. But that doesn’t mean you should skim job postings and apply for as many as possible.
By reading them carefully and watching out for some key phrases you’ll be able to save yourself and the recruiters a lot of time and effort. It’s much more productive to apply for fewer but more appropriate positions, write convincing cover letters and be properly prepared for screening phone interviews.
Focus on these areas of a job advertisement:
Job Title
This section of the advertisement is meant to describe the position and responsibilities held by the future employee in just a few words. They’re assuming that you might be searching for the title using keywords and that’s why you’ll find some that contain the word ‘manager’ but, in reality, the managerial aspects of the jobs are quite limited.
Keep in mind that job titles will differ from industry to industry. A an ‘executive’ in one enterprise might be called ‘senior’ in another, and whilst ‘editorial assistant’ may sound similar to ‘assistant editor’; they don’t have the same duties.
Job Description
A job description is intended to offer job seekers a summary of the main responsibilities and expectations of the particular position they are applying for. They are usually written with the assistance of the company’s HR department or after receiving some input from an external recruiter.
Patrick Algrim, owner of the career site Algrim.co said, “job description templates can save you a lot of time getting your job listing off the ground in a way that helps get responses.”
Here you’ll see the expected level of education and career experience. Read through the bullet points and think about whether this is the kind of job you can handle. You don’t have to meet every requirement but it should be at about 80%. If you took a job you’re not skilled enough to do well, do you think you’ll be happy Monday to Friday? Or stressed out of your mind?
If you see phrases like “good at multi-tasking”, “dead-line driven” and “resilient to stress”, they might be warning you that this job requires a bit more work than your average person can bear. It’s up to you to decide if that’s something you’re comfortable with. Likewise, a “good sense of humor” might imply that this is the kind of environment in which you’ll frequently find yourself getting frustrated and you should be the kind of person that can roll with the punches.
About Us Section
Most job advertisements have a section in which a more or less detailed description of the company is provided and maybe a link to their website. This is perhaps the portion which you should review the most thoroughly. You should also research their website, their employee reviews, their reputation and corporate values. You’ll know what you’re getting yourself into and also be better equipped to handle an interview.
Karen Adamedes is an experienced executive, author and career-tipster. In her most recent book ‘Professional in Pajamas: 101 Tips for Working from Home’ Karen shares many of the insights she has gained during a decade of working from home, where she has negotiated multi-million dollar deals, led national teams and delivered major projects. She does admit to sometimes working in her pajamas.
Totally agree with doing research on the company’s website! Find out as much as you can about the company before applying and reaching out.