How to write a Job Description

It is important to properly construct your job description to give out the relevant information to viewers and to make them want to apply for the job.

A Tough Job!

An online job description can help you locate the best candidate. However it can be a tough task writing down all your needs into a few sentences.

• Purpose: Not what they do, but why they are there, the reason the job was created.

• Key Responsibilities: What you are paying them to accomplish.

• Typical Activities: Those things they are expected to do in order to accomplish these responsibilities.

First. list the title of the position you are seeking. This will get the people who are interested in that career to read the whole ad. Also include the address of the company.

Make sure to use part of the job description to highlight the core benefit of working for your company to attract the high quality job seekers out there.

Let them know clearly why they would like working for your company. Is your company poised to grow tremendously in the near future? Do you have a particularly friendly workplace environment? Is your company well known for its great fringe benefit employee package? Such information can attract your viewers’ attention and get them reading more.

Next, explain the most important job duties and responsibilities in the job description. Here you need to state the particular qualities you are looking for in your future employee. Give details on the behavioral competencies you are looking for in the right candidate, in addition to the technical skills required to succeed at the job.

You also need to list the basic education level required on the job description, for example a high school diploma or a bachelor‘s degree in accounting. You can use a preferred keyword in your job requirement section to explain what you are looking for, yet not reject other candidates who may be right for the job even without that particular knowledge or quality.

If there are any special requirements such as a valid driver's license or an online portfolio, write that down. Also if you require flexible working hours and weekend work, you should add that to the job description. 

In addition, list your contact information such as email address and phone number.
The details in your online job description will depend on the type of position you are looking to fill. If you are looking for a computer scientist you can focus on the technical knowledge required. If you are looking for a salesperson, you can focus more on communication skills.  

Don't be boring...and sound human 

If you sound excited in your job description, it can get the candidate excited about the job also. Remember that you have to advertise your job to make it sell. Just as a candidate writing a resume is looking to sell themselves, so should your job description be looking to sell the job at hand

Don't forget keywords in the Job Description

For online job descriptions it is especially important to use lots of keywords. Since your ad will reside in a database, when a viewer searches for a related job term your ad should show up. So make sure it is keyword-related.

Review the Job Description
Before you submit your job description have people in your company review it, so that they can spot if you missed any relevant information. Then submit your online job description and watch the resumes pile in.