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How To Write a Job Description That Stands Out
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How To Write a Job Description That Stands Out

The Betts Team
December 3, 2015

Out are the days of dry and boring job descriptions. As the job market heats up and job seekers get bombarded with offers and listings through email newsletters and recruiters on LinkedIn, your job posting needs to stand out.

As a hiring expert at Betts Recruiting, I get asked to help write job descriptions all the time. Hiring managers typically struggle to identify how to correctly define the role in order to attract qualified talent.

To combat this onslaught of job offers, more companies are changing the format and voice of their job descriptions to attract better candidates.

Five Things That Every Hot Job Description Needs To Have

1. The Title

Be specific in the title by including the department in which the job will be located, level of seniority, and finish with the general part. For example, “Sales Associate” is a pretty generic title, and the responsibilities will vary greatly between companies. In order to attract the right people, expand the title into something like “Mid-Level Marketing Sales Associate.” It might be a bit lengthier but it’s more specific and to the point, which saves candidate’s time in their search and gets you better applicants.

 2. The Introduction

Here’s the part where you sell the job to the candidate. Tell them about your company in a short paragraph, keeping the focus on what makes your company unique and how this role contributes to the overall mission. Today’s job seekers are looking for more than just a bullet pointed list of responsibilities, so give some thought to this section.

3. The Responsibilities

Now we get to the heart of the description and the point at which your vision comes through. In theory, you’ve already been through strategy discussions and brainstorming sessions on why you need this hire. It’s okay to turn that high level discussion into bullet points because it makes it easier for the candidate to read. Are you looking to build out your marketing team and need a strong leader with a desire to collaborate? Say that.

4. The Necessary Qualifications

Here’s where you cover things like years of experience, education, technical skills, people skills, and personality traits. However, be as descriptive as you can with each bulleted item. If you say “4 years of experience,” take it one step further to get to how the experience was gained – “4 years of experience in a high growth market, preferable in mobile technology.”

5. Next Steps

What does the applicant need to do in order to throw their hat in the ring? Decide what combination of resume, LinkedIn, website, portfolio, cover letter, etc. you want to see first-thing. Make it clear if they are simply submitting information through an online form, or if they need to email their application somewhere.

Sometimes, even the best written job description can use an extra boost. If you’re finding yourself weeding through resumes and wasting time on unsuccessful interviews, connect with a member of our Business Development team to get a head start on great candidates.

If you’d like to speak with a hiring expert about writing a killer job description or scaling your sales team in Austin, TX email: Kelsey Haden – [email protected]