How to Decipher a Job Offer

It's a bit like the story of the hare and the tortoise... In the job hunt, there are those who rush to answer every job offer that seems suitable at first glance within seconds...

...and then there are those who take the time to decipher the announcement carefully, gathering valuable clues here and there, allowing them to gain a head start on over-hasty candidates. Those who don't waste their time answering pointless ads or those that lead to dead ends. These tortoises inevitably catch up with the exhausted hares and win the trophy...
Here is advice on how to carefully read a job offer: it will make you a tortoise that reaches its goal and not a hare that runs in circles.

1. Trust your first impression
In many ways, a job offer reflects the values of the recruiting company. So take the time to assess its layout, tone, choice of illustrations, etc. An ad that seems unclear, poorly structured, or incomprehensible is a bad omen: there is a good chance that the position is poorly defined internally, or even that the company itself is disorganized.

2. Pay attention to the vocabulary used
If the recruiting company has done its job seriously, the words used mean... what they are intended to say. Identify terms such as "required," "necessary," "essential," "imperative": associated with a particular skill, language or diploma, for example, they mean that you shouldn't waste your time applying if you don't possess the required asset.

On the other hand, more nuanced terms such as "desired," "appreciated," "a plus," etc., mean that you have more leeway. They should not be taken lightly, because even if the characteristic is not eliminatory, it does contribute to the selection. These are the "pluses" that will make the difference between candidates.
Good to know:

•  If the terms of the announcement are rather vague, it may be a recruitment agency trying to expand its databases.
•  Advertisements written in a foreign language, which use many technical terms or specific abbreviations related to the profession, are designed to better target candidates: no need to waste your time deciphering them if your profile is not suitable.

3. Prepare your analysis grid
Beyond this first reading, useful but insufficient, the tortoises - always organized without haste - systematically draw up a summary table of all the announcements that seem interesting to them.
A recruitment specialist explains the method: "This table, which serves as a reference throughout the job search and which becomes more efficient each time it is used, allows a better understanding of the recruiter's needs. It provides good arguments for the cover letter and prepares for the future interview."

The table is organized into four columns:

First column
You break down the elements of the announcement by placing them in 3 distinct categories:
The company. Indicate everything concerning the company directly: its sector of activity, the products and markets concerned, the geographical location, the structure (corporation, limited liability company, etc.), turnover, company culture and values when mentioned.
The position itself. Its title, its geographical location, the responsibilities requested, the problems to solve or the situation to improve, the means available, the hierarchical reporting, the salary when indicated.
The profile sought. Information concerning the candidate: required qualities, training, skills, experience…

Second column
Here you reproduce the entire text of the job offer in relation to the categories of the first column. This is an effective way to take ownership of the announcement, and also to keep a record of it.

Third column
This is the column for your argument for the position. You must draw on your career and experience to match the profile sought in the first column with the assets you possess and which meet the criteria.

Fourth column
This is the column of discrepancies you observe between what is requested and what you do not possess (years of experience, diplomas, particular skill...). Provided that the missing element is not eliminatory, this column allows you to better understand the points to improve: you can thus prepare your counter-argument. For example, 8 years of seniority are requested but you only have 4: you can highlight complementary experiences or your willingness to train to compensate…

This analytical work may seem cumbersome, but it always proves useful and will ultimately save you time. Speed matters, of course, but not as much as the precision and relevance of your arguments. The tortoises know this well, always beating the hasty and disorganized hares…



KR

Monster.fr

Posted online October 21, 2011.