The Weekend Ad Report

Remember when the Sunday paper was the big employment section?  It wasn’t that long ago.  I don’t remember posting any job ads on a different day – it was simply call in your ad by the Thursday deadline and approve the proof you received via fax (including the cryptic shorthand used to save space/lines).  That whole process is probably foreign to Gen Y…and that’s a good thing. Anyway, I was perusing the postings this weekend and found this title: Sales Represenitive The title simply cannot have errors.  None.  Period. Also on titles, there is no simpler clue to these pyramid deals than to see a long description for a title.… Read More

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Be Conservative On The Compensation

I read this line in a sales employment ad this past weekend: Actual Year 1 average earnings  – $100,000  – $200,000 ++ REALISTIC A $100K spread?  You know, this type of line is an immediate red flag for a jobseeker.  It may be true, but most salespeople will be skeptical.  They will put a multiplier of <1.0 on the number. The sad part of this ad is that it was posted by a sales recruiting company.  The best bet in these ads is to be somewhat conservative on the compensation and keep a tight range on the potential.

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Online Job Ads Decrease

No question the economy is slowing down so this article from Forbes.com is not surprising: The Conference Board found there was a total of 3,733,200 online-advertised job vacancies, a 0.6% decline from March 2007 and the first year-on-year fall in total numbers since the index began in 2005. The Board said the decline reflects a slowing in annual growth in 42 states, with 14 states showing negative growth. Yes, I know, the index is only a few years old, but there is enough data to show the present-day trend.  Here is some anecdotal information from the survey: The online-ad volume in California dropped 118,000, or 19%, below its March 2007… Read More

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Avoid Posting Job Descriptions

Part of what I do every day is hunt through the local sales position ads.  There are always some ads that contain more words than a doctoral thesis.  Posting an internal job description for a sales position is the wrong move. One aspect of sourcing that we observer is the salesperson’s ability to qualify, in this case, the opportunity.  If we post all the information about the position, the salesperson doesn’t have to work to find specific information.  I’ve said this before, it is amazing how much you can learn during an initial 10 min. phone screen.  An overwritten ad negates this fact to some extent. One other item we… Read More

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How Candidates Interpret Job Ads

Ok, this is a bit dated, but still funny: “COMPETITIVE SALARY” (We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.) “JOIN OUR FAST-PACED TEAM” (We have no time to train you.) “CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE” (We don’t pay enough to expect that you’ll dress up; well, a couple of the real daring guys wear earrings.) “MUST BE DEADLINE ORIENTED” (You’ll be six months behind schedule on your first day.) “SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED” (Some time each night and some time each weekend.) “DUTIES WILL VARY” (Anyone in the office can boss you around.) “MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL” (We have no quality control.) “CAREER-MINDED” (Female applicants must be childless and remain… Read More

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The Most Important Tool For Writing Ads

Spell check.  Seriously.  There are few things worse than misspellings in an employment ad.  The image an error creates is difficult to measure, but I am certain it has a sizeable impact. I came across the worst place for a misspelling…the title of the ad: Sales Carreer Opportunity I have squiggly red lines and windows popping open in my blog software trying to correct that word.  Yet someone at the hiring company did not catch this obvious error. The reason this error is so egregious is because the title is often the only description of the position that the jobseekers will see.  It has to be correct (and intriguing enough… Read More

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More Job Ad Errors

Ok, I know it is a holiday week so people are cruising at half speed, but there is no room for some errors.  Spelling mistakes in the title is inexcusable.  The title is the only information that is displayed on most job boards so you can see the significance of this mistake. The position’s title: Egineer – Mulitple Positions Honestly, I am embarrassed for the company.

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