Writing an engaging job description is critical to attracting the best suitable people for your position. A good job description can help your job stand out from the many offers available. Your job descriptions are where you begin selling your organization and your position to potential employees. Thus, it important to learn how to write a good job description, especially on platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn. Here’s a guide on how to write a good job description for your resume as a job seeker, or for a new position as a recruiter.
What Is a Job Description?
A job description highlights a role’s primary responsibilities, activities, qualifications, and abilities. This document, often known as a JD, outlines the sort of job completed.
A job description should include key corporate information such as the organization’s mission, culture, and any employee benefits. It may also identify who reports to the post and the compensation range.
A good job description will provide enough information for candidates to assess whether they are qualified for the role. Not only that, but 52% of job searchers feel the quality of a job description is very or highly significant on their decision to apply for a position, according to an Indeed survey.
How To Write A Job Description For A New Position
Here are some things you should consider if you want to write a good job description for a new position
Job Title
Make your job titles as descriptive as possible. Job titles that are more specific than generic are more effective, therefore be specific by using essential terms that truly describe the role. Indeed, according to a 2020 Indeed survey, 36% of job seekers who use job sites search for a job by using the job title.
Avoid using internal jargon that will confuse the job seeker. Stick to regular experience levels like “Senior” rather than “VI” or other less common designations. Your job description language should be as inclusive as possible. Consider going over your completed job description and modifying any language that may be discriminatory to any groups of people who could be interested in this position.
Job Summary
Begin with a powerful, attention-grabbing synopsis. Your summary should offer an overview of your firm as well as job requirements.
Details about what makes your company special will pique your reader’s interest. Your job description serves as an introduction to your organization and its brand. Include information about your company culture to summarize why a candidate might be interested in working for you. According to an Indeed survey, 72% of job seekers believe it is extremely or very important to include details about corporate culture in job descriptions.
Include the precise employment location. Provide a precise work location to boost the visibility of your job ad in job search results.
Duties and Responsibilities
Outline the position’s primary responsibilities. Make a clear yet succinct list of your responsibilities. Also, stress any duties that are exclusive to your organization. For example, if you’re hiring for an “Event Management” position that requires social media ability to promote events, provide this information to ensure candidates understand the requirements and can assess if they’re qualified.
Highlight the position’s day-to-day tasks. This will assist candidates in comprehending the work environment and the activities to which they would be exposed on a regular basis. This degree of detail will assist the candidate in determining whether the role and organization are a good fit, assisting you in attracting the finest candidates for your position.
Describe how the role will fit into the organization. Indicate who the position reports to and how the individual will function within your organization, which can assist candidates in seeing the larger picture and understanding how the role affects the business.
Qualifications and Skills
Include a list of soft and hard skills. Of course, the job description should describe the requisite education, past employment experience, certifications, and technical skills.
You may also include soft talents, like as communication and problem-solving, as well as personality attributes that you believe would lead to a successful hire.
Keep your list brief. While you may be tempted to include every attribute and talent you picture for your ideal hiring, doing so may turn off potential prospects. According to a 2018 Indeed poll, 63% of candidates claimed they didn’t apply for a job because they didn’t have the precise tools or talents listed in the job description. A further 47% stated that they did not apply because they lacked the required years of experience indicated in the job description.
That is why it is critical to establish the must-have vs. nice-to-have abilities and qualifications for the post in order to attract a more broad collection of candidates.
Benefits and Salary
Include a wage range. Quality individuals want opportunities that suit their compensation requirements. According to a 2019 Indeed survey, nearly 70% of candidates claimed they never or only rarely read job listings with pay information. Stand out from the crowd by including a wage range in your job description to attract the finest candidates.
Make a list of your top perks and advantages. What does it mean for the candidate? The majority of job searchers (83%) feel that a company’s benefits and perks have a substantial impact on their choice to accept or decline a job offer. Encourage more people to apply by highlighting the appealing rewards and advantages that you provide to your staff, such as:
- Unlimited PTO
- Flexible hours
- Coverage for medical, dental, and vision care
- Snacks for the workplace
- Tuition assistance
- Dog-friendly workplace
How to Write Job Description on a Resume
You don’t just have to be a recruiter to write a job description. As a job seeker, you should know how to write a good job description on your resume. What then, is the best approach to write catchy job descriptions? Make a note of your accomplishments at each of your employment before you begin adding work descriptions to your CV. This will help you prepare to write your resume. Here’s how you can write a job description on your resume:
#1. Concentrate on your abilities and accomplishments.
Look for methods to make your explanation more concise after you’ve prepared a job description:
- Create powerful impact statements.
- Highlight your abilities and accomplishments while offering only enough detail to back up your claims.
- Remove pronouns and articles.
- Verbs should be used to start phrases or sentences.
- Choose powerful phrases—resume action words like “initiated” and “supervised” are strong and demonstrate that you’ve had an impact on your team.
- Short explanations that focus on the most important components of your work will allow recruiters and hiring managers to rapidly absorb and evaluate your experience.
#2. Include Keywords
Include as many industry and job-specific “keywords” as feasible when submitting resumes to organizations that use applicant tracking systems (ATS). Employers look for resumes with the most “hits” on keywords while scanning databases for possible applicants.
Keywords are typically nouns, such as “customer service” or “computer skills.” To make the best use of keywords, be particular, use as many as possible, and pepper them throughout your resume.
#3. Be Picky About What You Include
Your CV does not represent your whole job experience, and you do not need to cover every duty for each role. Put yourself in the shoes of your potential employer to determine the most relevant information: Will this information persuade the company that you are a worthy candidate for an interview?
You are not required to include every obligation you have ever had. Similar jobs should be grouped together. For example, instead of stating “answered phones” and “responded to customer emails” in two bullet points, combine them and say “resolved customer issues through phone, email, and chat conversations.”
#4. Sort Out Your Qualifications
Next, consider how to prioritize the information you include in each description. Present the things that are most important to potential employers first.
List your most relevant qualifications for the job first in the job description to highlight them.
Example
Sales Associate, Retail USA, New York, NY
October 2021 to the present
- All enormous windows were designed with color as the major focus.
- Created appealing point-of-purchase displays for slow-moving tiny items, increasing sales by 30%.
- Floor displays that are well-organized to maximize space and draw attention to the most recent products.
- To assist clients, I used my great interpersonal and communication abilities; I was twice named employee of the month.
#5. Quantify Your Success
Quantify as much information as possible (numbers, dollar signs, and percentages can all assist).
A bullet point that says “Grew traffic 35% year over year” is more impressive—and informative—than one that just says “Improved traffic.”
Employers enjoy numbers. Looking at signs and symbols is considerably easier than reading words.
Almost any job description can benefit from the addition of numbers. A waitress’s job description can begin, “Took customer orders and delivered food.” A quantitative description, such as “served customers in an upscale 100-seat restaurant,” provides significantly more information.
#6. Prioritize achievements over responsibilities.
It is critical that employees understand you have the requisite experience to perform the duties of the position. Nonetheless, many candidates will have relevant experience.
To make yourself stand out, emphasize how you offered value. Prioritize accomplishments over responsibilities.
As previously stated, numbers can be your friend when it comes to emphasizing your accomplishments on your CV. Numbers also provide context. For example, “Increased revenue by 5% after several years of declining sales.”
Alternatively, instead of writing, “Answered phone calls and dealt with customer concerns,” state, “Resolved customer concerns, answering approximately 10 calls per hour.” “I became the team’s go-to person for dealing with the most difficult phone calls and complaints.”
Employers are interested in what you have accomplished. Use statistics and percentages to make it easy for them to see what you’ve done.
While it is crucial to keep descriptions brief, including details and context can assist employers understand why you are a good fit for the role.
#7. Improve the Sound of Your Jobs
There are simple techniques to make your CV job descriptions sound more impressive. A few minor changes here and there can significantly improve your resume.
Spend some time developing work descriptions for your resume, as potential employers will carefully study them.
Focus on relevant abilities and accomplishments—be selective with the information you offer, and put the most important information at the front of the job description.
Rather to merely listing activities, concentrate on what you’ve accomplished in each function, using eye-catching numbers and percentages.
How To Write A Job Description On LinkedIn
Job descriptions are a critical component of how you market yourself on LinkedIn, and the majority of people get it wrong. Here’s how to write an excellent LinkedIn job description.
#1. Do not copy and paste information from your CV.
LinkedIn is not a substitute for a resume. Because web communication is inherently informal, your profile should be less professional than your CV. That doesn’t mean you should be unprofessional, but it does imply you should write your LinkedIn job descriptions in the first person (“I”) as if you were speaking.
#2. Do not simply write a job description.
Don’t just list your responsibilities. Instead, mention the difficulties you encountered as well as some of your best results. For instance,
VP, Human Resources Acclaim Entertainment Public Company; 501-1000 personnel; AKLM; Computer Games Industry
1999-2003 (4 years)
- I was responsible for establishing and implementing HR strategy for this international video game developer, and I oversaw a team of HR representatives in the United States and the United Kingdom. I collaborated closely with the Co-Founders, CFO, and the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.
- I joined Acclaim during a tough moment in the company’s history, and I experienced numerous hurdles as a result of financial troubles and frequent management changes.
- Employee turnover was reduced by 25%, and the cost-per-hire was reduced by 77% by installing a cutting-edge recruitment system, reworking pay processes, and managing four difficult multinational downsizing projects.
#3. Be succinct.
Recruiters will want you to cut to the chase, so write no more than three short paragraphs. This means selecting the most relevant material and the most outstanding accomplishments is critical. If you can explain what you need to say in less than three paragraphs, do so, but don’t leave out important elements that can entice recruiters.
#4. If possible, choose quantitative outcomes.
Choose results that can be quantified, as in the case above. The more explicit you are about your accomplishments, the more credible and impressive they will appear to recruiters.
When including numbers, though, be sure you aren’t providing personal information that your company might be uncomfortable with you discussing. This is especially true for publicly traded corporations. While this is normally OK on a résumé, LinkedIn is clearly much more public, and you’ll need to be extremely careful about what you divulge. If you can’t use exact numbers, you might be able to say things like ‘double figures’ or ‘a considerable increase.’ If you do this, explain why by following your statement with (precise numbers secret).
What Is the Ideal Job Description Format?
The following elements are included in a job description: job title, job purpose, job duties and responsibilities, needed qualifications, desirable qualifications, and working circumstances.
What Makes A Job Description Attractive?
Your job description should emphasize your vision, beliefs, and culture while utilizing inclusive language.
What Is A Clear Job Description?
A clear job description specifies what tasks must be completed and when they must be completed. It should be as specific as possible about the responsibilities that the employee must complete on a daily basis. Will you be interacting with the general public, customers, or internal employees? What are the priority of the tasks to be completed?
In Conclusion,
By following these recommendations for writing your job descriptions, you’ll be able to weave a captivating story of success throughout your profile, both as a company and as a job seeker, providing prospects with a compelling reason to contact you.
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