Hello and welcome back. Last week I authored a fun short article about terrible job descriptions which you can read here. A well-crafted job description is crucial for attracting qualified candidates who will approach your career opportunity with seriousness. So, with that, I am delivering on my promise this week by providing you with a blueprint for crafting a fantastic job description.
Begin with a concise introduction, outlining who you are and what you are seeking. Follow this with a short, clearly written list of duties, qualifications, and required skills. Keeping in mind that the average job seeker sifts through hundreds of job postings weekly, remember less can often be more. In the sections below, I dive into each component of an outstanding job description, presenting examples in bold italics accompanied by insightful commentary.
Let us start with the intro. This is your chance to introduce not just your company name, and what type of candidate you are looking for, but also an opportunity to show off your company’s unique vision. Read the following intro.
If you are a Cybersecurity expert with a strong focus on US Governmental regulations, and you are looking to become a long-term member of an organization dedicated to the growth and development of its people, look no further as Company MSP may be your next and last employer.
At Company MSP., we recognize that a motivated and skilled workforce is the driving force behind our success. We celebrate diversity, promote inclusivity, and value the unique perspectives and talents that each team member brings to the table.
This intro is great. It is short but with a good takeaway. It gives a truly sharp view of who should apply and the company’s culture around the development and growth of its team members. Here is another notable example.
Are you an experienced IT professional with a passion for delivering exceptional customer service and technical support? Do you possess a solid background in desktop support, with strong foundational knowledge of systems/server administration, networking, and security appliance support with the desire to grow your foundations? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!
Again, it is short, simple, but immediately gives you a sense of what it would look like working for this company. Right away you know that other than the specific functions of the job, this company is focused on customer service and employee development.
Job Titles. The first position above was for a Chief Technology Officer/Chief Information Security officer and the second is for a Level 2 Field Engineer. No frills with these job titles. You may get the urge to be clever and create job titles like “Security Ninja” or “Level 2 Wizard” but do not. A candidate who is qualified will read the industry standard job title and already know if they potentially qualify. Anything fancy and they might not even read on to the rest of the job listing.
The qualifications section. It is super important here to also keep this as brief and as realistic as possible but still convey the “must haves” for the candidates. Here is an example from the CTO/CITO position we have referenced above.
Extensive understanding of NIST 800-53 and FedRAMP Moderate requirements.
3+ years in managing a Managed Service/IT Service Provider company
3+ years of experience in a senior-level IT role
3+ years of experience in information security
Strong leadership and communication skills
Nice and easy. Only five lines that do not ask for an absurd number of qualifications that are unrelated to the role.
Now, on to responsibilities or main duties. If the applicant is qualified, they will already know the daily basics in that role. Because of that, there is no reason to list every activity they might embark on while in their role. If you look at this example from the Level 2 Field Engineer below, you will see that it has a maximum of eight responsibilities listed. This is enough to tell the candidate the Job Title is coordinated with the key functions. Also take notice of the first one on the list. “Delivering top-notch customer service.” This is another reminder to the candidate that the company is service orientated and again how they want their tech to engage with their clients.
1. Delivering top-notch customer service while resolving technical issues promptly and professionally.
2. Conducting desktop support activities, troubleshooting hardware and software problems, and assisting end-users with technical inquiries.
3. Managing systems and servers, ensuring their stability, security, and optimal performance.
4. Configuring and maintaining networking equipment, including routers, switches, and firewalls.
5. Assisting in the deployment and support of security appliances to ensure the integrity of our clients’ data and networks.
6. Collaborating with the Level 1 IT support team to escalate and resolve complex technical issues.
7. Documenting all support activities, solutions, and knowledge base articles for future reference.
8. When not visiting clients, work from the office providing support services through remote tools.
Most important take away from all of this is that your job description is your resume to qualified candidates. What do you like to see on resumes from candidates? Keep that in mind. Nice, clear easy to read language that is relevant to the role and the company culture.
