I just read an ad for a mid-level sales position.  Interesting part was the location listed in the ad:

Milwaukie, WI

The hiring company is based in Fresno, CA which is, I suppose, in relative proximity to Milwaukie, OR.  However, the Wisconsin town of the same name is spelled “Milwaukee.”

In hiring, details matter.

(And wouldn’t you think Monster would have a checker of some form for these errors?)

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From a sales employment ad I read this morning:

Proven, world-class technology with plenty of sizzle

I can’t decide if I like that last turn of phrase in an ad or not.  For software sales, it sounds positive.  For slick-talking salespeople, it sounds like a negative stereotype.  I would recommend leaving the “sizzle” for steak.

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Here is an ad item I have not seen before:

**** is A Forecast Positing for Minneapolis, MN area ***

Do you get the feeling that line was an internal communication?  With a spelling error?  Whatever the reason, it single-handedly derails the ad…and wastes the money spent on it.  Any sales candidate who sees “forecast” for the position instantly knows that it is unqualified.  My guess is that the funding for the position is not approved yet.

The fact that I can make that assumption neutralizes the ad.

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From a sales ad I read this morning:

Blackberry device is needed, but optional.

Apparently coherent writing is needed, but optional.

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This is an advice column from the Selling Power archives:

E. Kinds of ads. Classified ads are found in the help wanted section of the newspaper, organized on the basis of occupation or industry and often alphabetized by the first word of the ad. Display ads have special borders with the company logo and sometimes artwork, drawings or photos. Open ads identify the name of the company. All inquiries from such ads must be answered, usually by mail or phone. Blind ads do not reveal the name of the company; the reader is asked to respond, by letter or resume, to a box number. In this case, you can respond to those applicants in whom you have an interest. Blind ads can be used in both classified and display ads.

Remember those days?  They weren’t that long ago.  Most hiring managers would cringe at reading this type of advice today.  However, I am fearless in sharing such antiquated material!

I wonder how long it will be before we start viewing the mega job boards as antiquated mediums?  The industry-specific boards are far more interesting for our company in terms of sourcing.  And even at that, the social media channel is truly becoming the rising star.  We just haven’t properly harnessed it’s full potential in our company yet.

I still browse through the printed newspaper sales employment section which is a bit of a misnomer in itself.  Our Sunday newspaper presented a whopping 10 sales ads recently.  The positions ranged from auto sales to debt collections to kiosk sales.  It was brutal…and foretelling.

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I have seen versions of this statement appearing in quite a few sales ads:

The ability to work well independently and within a collaborative environment

I think I understand what they are saying, but it is a poorly constructed bullet point.  Independent salespeople tend not to work well in collaborative cultures.  The same is true of collaborative salespeople, they tend to struggle in an independent role.

For me, this type of writing is either lazy, unfocused and/or wishful.  The better approach here is to define what a typical sale looks like in your company.  Use that information to determine if you need a salesperson with an independent mindset or a collaborative disposition.  This simple adjustment will relieve some of the qualifying that is surely occurring with this unclear ad.

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Here is a job title of a job posting I read this morning on one of the 2 large boards:

SECRET CASH LOOPHOLE

Here is the opening line of the ad:

EARN AN EXTRA $1,000 a Week Working Less Than an Hour a Day, or $500 a Day Working 2-3 Hours a Day.

As an aside, it is a good policy to be highly suspicious of any position that leads with your ability to earn more doing less.  Perhaps couch potatoes are their top prospects.

I realize in a recession with extremely high unemployment that these types of positions materialize.  However, the two big boards are being overrun by these ridiculous ads.  It hasn’t taken long for these ads to swell up to 25-35% of the sales ads for any given day.

Clearly the job boards are trying to survive this economy, too, so I understand their desire for revenue.  However, the quality, and usefulness, of the two big boards is falling precipitously as these types of ads become a higher percentage of the listings.

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Here is a sales job posting I clicked on this morning:

Regional Account Executive- Minneapolis

About the Job

 

 

 

That is it – the rest is a scrollable white page.  It gets better – the hiring company is in computer software.

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Honestly, I came across this title to a sales ad:

I make more money in a month than you make all year

Fantastic!  That is one humble title.  As you can imagine, the ad is written in a casual, confrontational style to challenge the most aggressive sales candidates.

I wouldn’t write an ad this way, but true confession – I got a kick out of it.

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Here’s a headscratcher from an ad I read today, Sept. 10:

On September 30, 2009, ABC Company will be upgrading the technology we use to receive job applications. Due to the upgrade, you will be asked to reapply to any jobs you have bid on. Any job applications, resumes, and/or cover letters that are submitted to ABC Company prior to September 30th, will not be converted to the new system.

They are advertising for a sales position…today.  So my assumption is that if I am a candidate, I can apply today and hope they are so overwhelmed they contact me immediately.  Right?  Otherwise, I will need to reapply in a few weeks.

If they are going to Taleo their entire process is whacked.

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