Where To Start When Writing A Job Description
When writing a job description where do you start?
Writing a compelling job description initially appears to be a daunting task. Your mind is probably filled with questions such as how do you start a job description, what information should I include, what does that job title do, where do I post a job advert, and how do I encourage people to apply?
These are all excellent questions, and by following our advice you can tackle these with confidence and write a job description that appeals to job seekers, securing the qualified candidates you need.
Before You Start Writing Job Descriptions
You may not need to write a job description entirely from scratch. So before you put pen-to-paper, we recommend:
- Look internally – Do you have an internal database of job descriptions or have you written a similar job descriptionin the past?
- Look online – Google is a great source of information with databases of job descriptions and free job description templates, which can help you get started.
If not, you may be able to find something suitable on a job board. Aggregators like Indeed are a great place to look, or you may have a long withstanding relationship with an agency who can probably share something suitable.
Agree with the job specification internally, ensuring that all the team members that you want to be involved have their say now. Consider who should you involve, who will be working closely with this person.
Sample job descriptions can inspire and help but you need to define what success looks like in this position. What is important to your company and what impact do you expect this position will have to the business?
Writing a job description?
We have produced a template to help you create the perfect job profile. We can also send you job descriptions, just enter the job title required and we will share.
What would you like?
A Few Considerations To Take Whilst Creating Your Job Description
What training is required? What are the roadmaps along the way? Agree what support you’ll need to provide the employee. What costs might recruiting someone in this position incur? If they are in sales, marketing will be required, commission will need to be paid, will they need a lead generation person?
If they are in IT employee they’ll be interested in new technologies and how technically your company is looking to evolve – can you provide the platform for this person to help your company thrive?
For most employees, regardless of their job you’ll need to consider courses and further training, this comes at a cost and will involve time out of the office so make sure you do your research now!
What skills does the candidate require? What experience must they have had? Do they need to come from the industry or a competitor?
Give a concise outline of duties – be truthful about the position and make it captivating.
Job Description Examples
If you need help creating a well-crafted job description, you can start by finding sample job descriptions in the categories below. If you have a job description ready, you can post a job here, across multiple job boards.
- Accounting Job Description Examples
- Agriculture Job Description Examples
- Analyst Job Description Examples
- Armed Forces Job Description Examples
- Arts Job Description Examples
- Automotive Job Description Examples
- Banking and Insurance Job Description Examples
- Bar and Restaurant Job Description Examples
- Charity Job Description Examples
- Construction Job Description Examples
- Customer Services Job Description Examples
- Education Job Description Examples
- Engineering Job Description Examples
- Facilities Management Job Description Examples
- Finance Job Description Examples
- Healthcare Job Description Examples
- Hospitality and Leisure Job Description Examples
- Human Resources (HR) Job Description Examples
- Information Technology (IT) Job Description Examples
- Leadership Job Description Examples
- Legal Job Description Examples
- Management Job Description Examples
- Manufacturing Job Description Examples
- Marketing Job Description Examples
- Media Job Description Examples
- Nurse Job Description Examples
- Office Administration Job Description Examples
- Personal Care Job Description Examples
- Professional Services Job Description Examples
- Project Manager Job Description Examples
- Public Sector Job Description Examples
- Religious Worker Job Description Examples
- Retail Job Description Examples
- Sales Job Description Examples
- Science Job Description Examples
- Social Care Job Description Examples
- Teacher Job Description Examples
- Transportation and Logistics Job Description Examples
Final Thoughts
Look through the eyes of candidates and understand what is important to them. You need to create a great first impression so make sure when writing a job description that you build candidate desire. What makes the job compelling, tell the company story and have a clear message about the company, consider the culture and be positive! If you wish to read further on the topic, read our article How To Write A Job Description or What To Include In A Job Description.
Next, read: How Much Do Recruitment Agencies Charge?
Writing A Job Description FAQs
Here, we answer your frequently asked questions on writing job descriptions.
HOW DO YOU START OFF A JOB DESCRIPTION?
A well-written job description starts off with a simple and concise overview. This should include the key functions of the job.
HOW SHOULD A JOB DESCRIPTION BE WRITTEN?
A job description can be written from scratch or by using job description examples, either held internally, or online in a job description database.
WHAT IS THE FIRST PART OF A JOB DESCRIPTION?
The first part of a job description is the job title. Job titles are the first thing job seekers see, and so they should indicate clearly what the position is, so prospective candidates understand if the job is suitable for their consideration.
