6 Steps to Evaluate a Job Description

Boston High-Tech Recruiter

Presents…

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( Part 1 of 2 )

Intro

• Thousands of jobs are posted every week • Job seekers must determine:

– which job openings suit them best – which job openings they are qualified for

• Here are 3 of the top 6 essential steps to evaluating job descriptions…

Step 1: Know Your History

• Understand what you bring to the table• Nontransferable skills

– skills needed in a previous job, but irrelevant to future employers• Transferrable skills

– skills that may benefit future employers

Step 1: Know Your History

• Create a general resume that details your entire career– including work history, degrees, awards, & honors

• Find which positions and industries you have the most experience in• Recognize your strengths and weaknesses• Apply to positions for which you are truly qualified

– you will have the best odds of landing a job you love

Step 2: Plan to Clear the Bar

• Understand what skills you must walk through the door with• Determine areas you must master with training and resources• Verify you meet degree requirements and have licenses and certifications• Hiring managers use certifications to…

– set a baseline for what candidates must offer– differentiate between otherwise equal candidates

Step 2: Plan to Clear the Bar

• You can apply for a job even if you don’t quite fit the requirements– If you only have a bachelor’s degree, and a job calls for a PhD…

• this is likely not an attainable job– If you have two related master’s degrees and 20 years of industry experience…

– a hiring manager may overlook that you never got a PhD

• If you don’t have something a job listing asks for, prove…– you plan to master the lacking skill– other existing skills & knowledge compensate

Step 2: Plan to Clear the Bar

• Years of industry experience is a common benchmark • Focus on keywords, such as “desired,” “preferred,” and “required”

– If 4 years of industry experience is preferred…• you’re likely okay applying with just 3 years

– If 10 years of experience is required and you have only 2… • think again about applying

Step 3: Ready, Willing, & Able?

• Meeting basic requirements for a job doesn’t mean you will excel• Less-tactile skills are required…

– interpersonal skills, public speaking skills, leadership skills, & more

• Look for common threads among skill requirements – these are underlying attributes the company values – ensure you understand and showcase these attributes

Step 3: Ready, Willing, & Able?

• A square peg fits into a round hole, but will always leave space– If a position outlines a need for SQL, Python, and PHP…

• don’t treat each point as a box in a checklist, dig deeper– You’re capable of designing databases, but…

• does the company make software for pet stores and you hate animals?• does the company make databases for a political party you don’t support?

• Could you be happy working for a cause you don’t support or clients you dislike?

End of Part 1

• These are just 3 of the 6 steps for evaluating a job description

Click Here to View Part 2

Sources

• Adapted with help from:– Miriam, http://bit.ly/Me2rW2– Teresa, http://bit.ly/K1UqHI)

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Boston High-Tech Recruiter

Connect With Us:

www.CareerEncore.com

Recruiter@CareerEncore.com

(617) 242-4443