6 Tips for Writing a Great Job Description

As the Co-founder and CEO of WayUp, I’ve read thousands of job descriptions—both good and bad. Our team works relentlessly to help employers find the best students to hire, but lots of the success comes from how good the job description is, so I’ve put together my top tips for writing an amazing job description to attract the most qualified applicants.

First and foremost, the beauty of a well-written job description is that it saves everyone time and clearly explains what the role is all about.

Today’s job applicants are just as likely to be browsing job listings on their iPhones as they are to be sitting in front of a computer screen. That’s why companies should provide job descriptions that are short, sweet and to the point. Job seekers don’t want to waste their time, and neither do you!

Here’s how you do it:

1) Make a Good First Impression

What will people read/see first? The job title, of course, so make it good. A good job description will start with the job title, including the main role and level of the job (i.e. Senior Account Manager, Junior Programmer, Assistant Research Scientist). Be sure to note whether it’s a full-time, part-time or contract position.

If the job pays really well and you’re willing to divulge the salary, including it in parentheses often helps (especially for hourly work).

2) Have a Clear Layout

Once you have the job title (as per #1 above), add a brief summary of the job, information about the company, general responsibilities and corporate culture. Follow this with more detailed listings of key responsibilities (super important!!), desired skills and competencies, along with benefits, salary (great if you can include a range; otherwise, write “competitive”) and contact information.

3) Tell Them What They’ll Be Doing!

The most common issue I come across in JD’s is that many lack a thorough overview of the day-to-day responsibilities expected in the role. If the job overview is too general, people are often left confused by what exactly the role entails and don’t know whether or not they’re a fit for it. This leads to you being inundated by the wrong type of applicant, which equals more time spent to find the top contenders. Avoid this by laying out what someone can expect to do on a day-to-day basis to ensure that nothing ends up being a surprise.

That being said, candidates will shy away from long, daunting job descriptions with a laundry list of desired competencies. You don’t need to list every menial responsibility and task the job requires. Instead, pick 5-10 points that capture the responsibilities and competencies that are most necessary to the job.

4) Keep It Clear

Forget jargon and buzzwords. In order for job-seekers to get a real sense of what they will be doing in the position, be as transparent, forthright and realistic as possible. Your bullet points on key responsibilities should start with action verbs (think: “manage,” “design,” “negotiate”). Be candid about what you’re looking for in the ideal applicant. That might mean adding a “Nice to Have” list of extra competencies that aren’t necessary, but would make the candidate just that much more fitting for the role.

5) Show Some Personality

I find that being as transparent as possible about the culture and personality of the company expedites the hiring process tremendously. Job seekers will be able to tell instantly whether or not the described workplace is a fit for them. Whether your company is laid-back and a little bit silly or you pride yourself on its professionalism and formality, make sure to reflect that personality in the tone and voice of your job description.

Note: Your entire Hiring page is also a great place to show your personality! Check out ours or even the public job pages that are auto-generated for each company that posts with WayUp.

6) List the Benefits

Make sure candidates know what to expect from your company. Be clear about any non-monetary benefits, perks and advantages in the compensation section of your job description, whether that’s free office lunches, paid commute or medical and dental coverage. Perhaps you offer a letter of recommendation from the CEO after an internship. Let applicants know this. You want to be seen as an attractive company to work for, so make sure such things are included.

Once you’ve followed the above suggestions, here’s a quick test to know if you did a good job:

• Can you read the job description in under 4 minutes?
• Have a friend read the JD. When he/she is done, ask the friend what the responsibilities of this role would be. Did they say what you wanted them to say?
• Find 3 companies who are hiring for this same role. (You can often find this by going onto Indeed.) Take the job description you wrote, and compare it to the 3 others. Does yours sound more interesting?

Final piece of advice: Post the job description where it will be seen by a high-quality pool of applicants. This is why we started WayUp—to connect companies with a driven, qualified pool of students. There’s no sense in spending time creating the perfect job description, only to have it seen by the wrong target audience.

I hope these tips help. Have more? Leave them in the comments section!