Job postings can provide insights into the skills, experience, and other selection criteria that an employer considers most important for a specific job vacancy.
Careful analysis of a job posting can help you verify you are qualified for the job; customize your cover letter; and target your resume to the position requirements.
Here are tips to gain the most from job postings:
- Read through the entire job posting. Skimming it - you may miss key information.
- Print out the job posting and highlight key words in the qualifications, skills, and experience sections. Keywords can be action terms such as develop policies, manage team, oversee processes; or systems such as TWMS, PMIS, Microsoft Office; or organizational knowledge including regulatory policies/procedures.
- Some job postings use the word “preferred” (degree preferred, two years’ experience preferred, etc.) This usually means you can apply if you do not have that particular skill or ability as long as you have the other qualifications.
- When sending a resume in response to a job posting, be sure you meet the minimum requirements. If the job posting says certification, license, degree, experience, etc. required, you might be wasting your time if you do not have those qualifications.
- Multiple position job postings usually indicate a new or expanding company.
- If it says “no phone calls,” do NOT call.
- Job postings that promise a big paycheck with little experience required usually indicate sales positions that work on commission.
- If the contact for the job posting is a private employment agency, find out if they will charge you a fee. Some agencies charge the employer a fee; some charge the job seeker a fee.
- Be wary of job postings that ask you to pay for training, or to purchase kits or training materials as a condition of employment.
- Red flag warnings on online job postings include unclear, unrealistic opportunities or missing information such as no organization name or contact information.