Don’t Believe Everything You Read in a Job Posting

Posted on June 04, 2022 by Jeff Rothman, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

Many job seekers read a posting and think they are a perfect fit. But, in reality, there’s no way to know that. No job description is 100% accurate.

Some descriptions are poorly written, updated every five to 10 years, and don’t reflect the changes made to a role over time. Others are written by recruiters who may not understand the technical requirements of a job, or by a manager who is still figuring out exactly what they want.

Picking a specific title is also not the best way to go about your search. Often, companies use the same job titles for what turn out to be very different roles in terms of experience and pay. A senior data analyst at a startup, for instance, may be responsible for strategic planning, generating weekly reports, and conducting team meetings. In a larger corporation, someone with that same title may be responsible for just one task.

Treat the job description as a guide. Look for jobs with your target job title and others that are similar but with different levels (such as analyst and senior analyst). Here’s a trick: Compare your experience and knowledge to the skills required, and apply if you meet 75% of those requirements. Have you done work that is similar? Are you confident that you can take on a responsibility, even if you don’t have prior experience with it? Remember, you don’t need to know it all. Managers want people who are excited and willing to learn.

Lastly, during your interview, ask probing questions to get a better idea of what you’ll be getting yourself into:

What does the boss expect from this role in the first six months?

How does the role fit into the hierarchy and influence decisions?

How much of the role is routine versus strategic (planning and looking ahead)?

Who are the main people this role will be working with?

Answers to questions like these will help you understand the actual roles and responsibilities of the job and whether it’s a good fit for you.

(This is an excerpt from an article by Ann Howell, a leadership coach and talent consultant with Howell Leadership Science, LLC)