3.2 Interpreting and Responding to Job Advertisements
"Reading Between the Lines"
Recruitment advertisements are an ideal platform for employers to market their companies, especially if the ad might be seen by shareholders, customers and competitors.
By specifying the necessary qualities and qualifications as clearly as possible (and sometimes inflating them) the job ad acts as a pre-selector and screens out unsuitable applicants. Employers don’t want to waste their time looking at resumes that bear no resemblance to the available job.
It’s important, therefore, that you learn how to read between the lines of advertisements, ignore the promotional parts and focus on the facts.
Research has shown (The Guardian) that people look at job ads for no more than a few seconds. When you look at an ad, you should ask yourself these questions:
- Who is the company? What are its size, location, reputation, prospects, core values?
- What job is the company offering? Does the job have a recognizable title or is it vague?
- What requirements does the job demand? What skills and qualifications are mandatory? What additional skills does it “prefer”? What are the job’s tasks? Are they clearly defined?
- What personal traits does the employer want in a candidate? What can you infer about the company from this information (e.g. team player, interpersonal skills, independent, gets along with others).
If the advertisement says you “must have” or “you must be”, you should not apply unless you possess those requirements. However, if the ad says "preferably" or "ideally", it means these requirements aren’t essential.
Hints:
- Distinguish between mandatory requirements and desired requirements. Words like “should have”, “preferred”, “helpful but not required” indicate that the requirement is not absolute.
- Analyze the jargon used in job ads: an expression like “self-starter” could be saying that the job is commission-based, while an ad that asks for a “conscientious” worker might mean that the job is detail-oriented.
- Blind ads are ones that don’t list the employer’s name. People tend to look upon these ads with suspicion but there are several good reasons why a company might want to remain anonymous – anything from internal legal issues to wanting to keep a low profile in front of the competition. Don’t be put off by their secrecy.
- A company whose survival depends upon winning external contracts – those who don’t have a product or a single service of their own – often advertise job openings before a contract is won. They are working on the assumption that if a contract bid is successful, they will have to pull a team together very quickly. Even though an ad may not refer to an existing job, these companies are often good sources of short-term employment. They are serious recruiters who collect and maintain databases of resumes.
- Be careful of strange or outrageous ads (unless they're for an advertising agency). Sometimes companies will try to grab your attention because the job isn't very attractive, or the profession has a high turnover rate.
- Continue to read job ads even after you’ve found employment. You will begin to see subtle changes in trends and language. This information can help to keep you up-to-date on industry developments.
 Continue to: The anatomy of a job ad >>
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