How to Write a Great Job Post
Updated 6 years ago
JobScore makes posting and managing jobs easy. But you need a great job post to make sure the right candidates apply. Here's how we suggest you craft yours:
Step 1: Open the “Add Job” Template
When you are ready to add a job, click Jobs, then Add Job.
Our pre-loaded template lays out the core elements of a great job advertisement. Let us walk you through how to make yours shine.
(To avoid HTML formatting difficulties, we strongly recommend that you compose your post in plain text, and then use our editor to style your text (bold text, change fonts, add bullet points, etc.).
Step 2: Job Title
If possible, use a standard and easy-to-understand job title. On many job boards your job title is displayed as a search result (the headline).
Get more clicks with a little pizzaz. For instance,“Software Engineer, C# Expert for a Hot SF Start-Up” or “Entry-Level Sales Associate: Be Mentored by the Best.”
Note: This doesn’t have to be your first step. You may be able to write a more on-point title after completing the rest of the post.
Step 3: About Us
Use your company’s standard “About Us” paragraph.
Or, if you’re drafting it, here are some questions you’ll want to answer in your "About Us" paragraph.
What does your company do or produce?
What industry are you in?
What is your mission? What do you stand for?
How big is your company? How long has it been around?
Why should a candidate want to work for your company?
What is it like to work for your company<
Here’s a great example from FirstTech Credit Union’s listing for a UX Designer in San Francisco:
At First Tech, we're looking for Champions. People who go out of their way to help other people build stronger financial futures. As a financial institution, we definitely like numbers, and here are a few important ones for you:
We're ranked as one of the top 10 safest, soundest credit unions in the country
At over $6 billion in assets, First Tech Federal Credit Union is the 10th largest credit union in the U.S
Yes, we do like numbers, but as a credit union we love people even more. And especially the people we call Members. They need someone who's committed to making their banking simple, keeping them connected to their money wherever they are, and always watching out for their financial future, even when they aren't. That's why they need a Champion. Do you have what it takes?
Step 4: Responsibilities
A prospective employee needs to be able to imagine how they can fit and add value at your company. Tell them what their priorities will be and where the job will take their career.
Start with the Introduction
Opportunity. A great boss? Leading-edge skill training? A project of special significance? Especially high pay?
Lifestyle. Paint a picture: what are their days going to be like in this job? How many hours will they need to work? Will they have to/get to travel? Will they hire or manage other people?
Team style. What distinguishes top performers on your team? Do you share common interests? Are you morning people or night owls? Procrastinators or planners? Softball or Scrabble?
If the job is open for a positive reason — growth, a promotion, a big new customer win, a successful round of funding — definitely say so.
Here’s a great example from Etna Interactive’s post for a Web Developer in San Luis Obispo:
You should know that we're a team of over-achievers, life-long learners and perfectionists. We are looking for someone who is up to the real challenge of the complexity and intensity of work at Etna Interactive and we have a special interest in finding someone with exceptional collaboration and communication skills. While a well-developed skill set and innate intelligence will get you in the door, a warm personality and the ability to fit with our team are essential. This role will provide you with the training and opportunity to learn and develop new skills in a comfortable, casual work environment.Next, Describe Daily Responsibilities
Follow your Introduction with some short bullet points about day-to-day job responsibilities.
Provide specific, discrete tasks that the person will do in this job.
You can highlight the more exciting or interesting aspects of the job, but don’t fib or exaggerate.
Avoid internal company jargon.
Here is an example from a post for a Senior QA Automation Engineer at Eze Software Group in Alpharetta, GA:
Job Functions:
Help create and maintain an automated test framework for product features and enhancements.
Train others to automate manual test cases using the automation framework.
Assist in evaluating existing applications with regard to making them testable through automation.
Participate in continuous improvement of testing process and procedures by analyzing reported bugs and then assessing test coverage and project execution around these areas.
Facilitate and participate in requirements gathering with stakeholders, product team members, development team members, and QA team. You will make sure that we write code that is testable via automation.
Design test strategies and plans based upon functional and design specifications.
Evaluate quality risk for product changes and propose test strategy to address risks.
Track and reports test results in formal fashion through planned daily activities and reporting of project quality status.
Step 5: Requirements
This section is not a list of everything your ideal candidate might know, it is the absolute minimum requirements for the position.
Try to keep this list to 4 one-sentence bullet points or fewer. Think of this as the “if you don’t have these, don’t apply” list. The longer it is, the longer it will take you to fill this job. Rank the importance of your job requirements, with the most important criterion first.
Step 6: Bonus Points
Describe your perfect match.
If the perfect candidate appeared at your door, what would they bring with them? Rank these qualifications (ten or fewer!) and list the most important ones first. Most people spend 90% of their time making a huge list of bonuses and labeling them “requirements,” but we urge you to resist the temptation to spend too much time writing up a massive list — it won’t help you generate great candidates. We promise.
Step 7: Perks
Perks are more than just treats, they are a window into who you want to be as a company, and what your ideal employee values. What perks do you offer? List them here.
Logos Bible Software in Bellingham, WA, offers this list:
Unlimited vacation time (within reason)
Free beverages and espresso
Onsite learning and training
Outdoor Recreation Center with Onsite Bike Shop
Discount gym memberships
Smart co-workers
Step 8: Paste in Text into Template
Once you’ve finished polishing up your job post components, paste them into the template in plain text. Update the formatting by using the controls on the top of the page.