How to Write a Job Description That Attracts Awesome Applicants

As a direct response copywriter, I specialize in making readers take a specific action. I write a variety of copy, including articles, landing pages, sales emails, and job advertisements.

So, you can believe me when I show you how to write an eye-catching job description that attracts the brilliant people you want working for you.

In fact, I've written hundreds of job ads over my career. One of my first gigs was for a big employment website, where I created several ads a day. Ads that had one ultimate purpose: to compel readers to hit the “APPLY NOW” button.

My job was to make people want to press that button. My words were supposed to make them feel excited about the prospect of being in the role they were reading about.

If I could do that, consistently, I was lightning in a bottle.

This article will walk you through an approach to job descriptions that allowed me to double my conversion rate of visitors-to-applications in less than a year. Keep reading to learn the strategies and best practices I used to grip candidates, exciting them enough to take action.

How to Write a Job Description

1. Study your target candidate.
2. Optimize the job title with the keywords that candidate is using.
3. Start with a company summary.
4. Concisely describe the job's benefits.
5. Summarize the benefits package.
6. Keep the job's requirements clear and realistic.
7. Use strong verbs to describe the job's responsibilities.

You want to write a job ad that consistently drives candidates to fill out an application. Of course, you also want qualified applicants -- people that meet your requirements. To get them, you need them to read the entire job description before deciding if this position is a match for what they're looking for.

Before candidates settle into your ad, they’re first going to scan it. And if it’s not formatted using big, bold, clear, and concise subheads to make the scanning process effortless, they’ll move on.

The easier your job ad is to scan, the more likely it is to garner (and hold) readers' attention -- attention that ultimately leads to action.

Here’s how to attract the right people to your open position:

1. Study your target candidate.

You might've heard that people buy on emotion first, and then rationalize their purchases using logic.

Applying for a job, in that sense, is a lot like making a purchase. Pressing the “APPLY NOW” button is an emotionally charged decision.

When writing your job ad, tap into those emotions by learning everything you can about your target candidate (i.e., the person you want to be interviewing). What are his or her professional goals and aspirations? What makes him or her happy?

Example

Create a target candidate persona, or a composite of your ideal employee. (Download these buyer persona templates to get started.) Use the information you find to make potent promises that your target candidate wants to hear and, more importantly, you know you can keep.

Are you hiring for a role in content marketing? Consider aspects of your existing marketing team that you want to see reflected in your new hire. What are your current employees' career goals? What do they enjoy most about the company? Which areas of expertise do they lack that your candidate can provide?

These are all valuable pieces of information that can help you draft a corresponding job description and ensure your potential candidates would be a fit at your organization -- both culturally and professionally.

2. Optimize the job title with the keywords that candidate is using.

Every day, the job hunt leads millions of people to search millions of keywords. This makes SEO very important to the recruitment process, especially when writing job ads.

In your quest to be unique and desired, don’t make up a new, creative name for an established role. In other words, don’t call your open content marketing position an “Attention Ninja” or “Audience Crafter.”

Example

For a role in content marketing, title your job exactly what you're looking for: “Content Producer.” If you’re in the B2B space with clients all over the world, for instance, add a few more adjectives: “Global B2B Content Marketing Coordinator."

Keep in mind that the experience level of your ideal candidate can change the words they use when looking for jobs online. If you're hiring for a mid-level content marketer, for example, consider words like "strategist," "specialist," or even "manager." Is the content you produce part of a much larger digital marketing operation? Include the word "digital" -- as in "Digital Content Marketing Specialist" -- to put a finer point on all the digital channels you want your applicants to be passionate about.

Post the position under a recognizable, keyword-friendly title, as that’s what candidates will be searching.

3. Start with a company summary.

Open your job ad's main text copy with a “Company Summary” paragraph. But don't simply paste your business's "About Us" boilerplate description into your job listing. Your "Company Summary" should help to put the job for which you're hiring into context for the applicant.

If your company sells security software, for example, it won't be enough to simply state your company name, when you were founded, the types of software packages you offer, and where you're located. Your applicants will want company details that pertain to the team they'd be joining.

Here's an example of a company summary for a (shamelessly made-up) software developer that's looking for an awesome content marketing specialist to join the team:

Example

Security Software Co. is a Boston-based software developer that puts today's most pressing ecommerce security challenges at the heart of its brand. We turn the best cybersecurity technology into trusted solutions for the small online business, and after a decade serving more than 70 clients, we need someone to help us tell the stories that matter most to our customers.

If you summarize your company in a way that resonates with your ideal candidate, you'll set yourself up to dive right into the job description itself. But don't be fooled: The best job descriptions can't simply be packaged into a second paragraph following the Company Summary above.

Describe your open position using subheads, or sections, in this order:

1. Benefits
2. Requirements
3. Responsibilities

Here’s a breakdown of each section along with example paragraphs that, when combined, will form a “Content Marketing Specialist” job description for Security Software Co. -- the fictional company we created in the italicized paragraph above.

4. Concisely describe the job's benefits.

Every ad must start with a concise description, or overview, of the role. It should be snappy and compelling -- just be sure to complement the clear, quick explanation of the role with the job’s big-picture benefits as well.

General Electric did a nice job describing the benefits of their roles in the commercial below -- part of an amusing series to help the company shift its brand to keep up with today's digital culture. Listen to how the man in the blue sweater describes his new position:

People inherently want to be part of something bigger than themselves. Appeal to that desire by helping candidates envision the impact of their work.

If you’re hiring a software developer, explain the mark that software will leave on others. Will it help them beat traffic? Will it help them communicate better with their family? Will it help them get clean drinking water every day? Be specific. The more specific you are, the more compelling your message will be.

Here's how our fictional organization, Security Software Co., might describe the benefits of working as their newest content marketing specialist:

Example

As the Content Marketing Specialist for Security Software Co., you’ll create articles, infographics, and eBooks that build an engaged audience. Your goal will be to drive thousands of people to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn. Your success will expand Security Software’s global reach – helping millions of parents protect their children from online predators – while simultaneously developing your personal brand as a foremost expert in our space.

5. Summarize the benefits package.

Now that you have the candidate’s attention, draw him or her deeper into the ad with a section dedicated to the other benefits: your company’s benefits package -- a topic employees care about. But just know, there's a right and wrong way to write a benefits bullet ...

Use examples to help candidates envision the benefit, not just read it on the job ad. Like this:

• The wrong way: “Heated parking garage.”
• The right way: “Arrive and leave work comfortably, thanks to a heated garage.”

Example

At Security Software, we ask a lot of our employees, which is why we give so much in return. In addition to your competitive salary, medical/dental/vision plan, and matching 401(k), we’ll shower you with perks, including:

• Dress: Wear anything you like to the office – and be as comfortable at work as you are in your own living room.
• Flexibility: Two days a week, feel free to skip the commute and hit your deadlines from home.
• Food: Save hundreds of dollars on food each year thanks to our well-stocked, healthy kitchen.
• Location: On the days you are in the office, get here quickly thanks to our highly accessible central location.
• Wellness: Stretch away the stress every morning in our in-house yoga studio.

6. Keep the job's requirements clear and realistic.

This section will be your ad’s most sterile, so don’t close with it. Stick it in the middle, sandwiched between two sections that highlight promise and opportunity.

Keep your list of requirements only as long as it needs to be. You don’t want to scare great candidates away with trivial prerequisites. You also don’t want to engage and inspire unqualified people with a shortlist.

Example

Not everyone can be a Content Marketing Specialist. To be seriously considered for this role, please have the following in regard to:

• Experience: At least 3 years in a similar role with comparable goals and responsibilities (security and/or software background, preferred)
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in English, Marketing, Communications, or a similar field, preferred
• Skills: You must be an excellent writer, someone who understands how to frame a message in a clear, concise, and compelling way. You must also understand the mechanics of an efficient, effective Marketing Automation campaign (HubSpot experience, preferred).
• Characteristics: This is an autonomous position, so you should be self-sufficient and self-motivated. It’s also a creative role, so you must be able to gracefully receive criticism and feedback about your work.

7. Use strong verbs to describe the job's responsibilities.

Responsibilities are the job. They’re the work, and the paycheck. But responsibilities can also generate excitement and promise in a passionate candidate.

Begin each bullet point of your job responsibilities with a unique yet fitting verb. For example, the role doesn’t “manage” people; it “shapes” them. The role doesn’t “oversee” projects; it “enables” their success. See the difference? One word can offer a fresh perspective, altering the reader’s frame of mind.

Example

As Security Software’s sole Content Marketer, you’ll meet the initiative’s strategic needs on your own, experimenting, learning, and adjusting as you go. Throughout your journey to grow our brand’s audience and reach, you’ll be responsible for:

• Sculpting informative, entertaining, digestible articles that audiences can’t stop reading.
• Designing beautiful, rich infographics that are as engaging as they are shareable.
• Publishing easy-to-skim, value-driven eBooks for download in exchange for business-email addresses.
• Crafting persuasive, laser-focused landing pages that compel your target audience to take one valuable action.
• Purchasing targeted ad spend on well-performing social media platforms.
• Pulling prospects through each stage of our marketing funnel, gradually warming them up for a productive conversation with sales.

The Final Product

Here’s what our example job ad for Security Software Co. looks like when stitched together:

Content Marketing Specialist

Security Software Co. is a Boston-based software developer that puts today's most pressing ecommerce security challenges at the heart of its brand. We turn the best cybersecurity technology into trusted solutions for the small online business, and after a decade serving more than 70 clients, we need someone to help us tell the stories that matter most to our customers.

OVERVIEW:

As the Content Marketing Specialist for Security Software Co., you’ll create articles, infographics, and eBooks that build an engaged audience. Your goal will be to drive thousands of people to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn. Your success will expand Security Software’s global reach – helping millions of parents protect their children from online predators – while simultaneously developing your personal brand as a foremost expert in our space.

BENEFITS:

At Security Software, we ask a lot of our employees, which is why we give so much in return. In addition to your competitive salary, medical/dental/vision plan, and matching 401(k), we’ll shower you with perks, including:

• Dress: Wear anything you like to the office – and be as comfortable at work as you are in your own living room.
• Flexibility: Two days a week, feel free to skip the commute and hit your deadlines from home.
• Food: Save hundreds of dollars on food each year thanks to our well-stocked, healthy kitchen.
• Location: On the days you are in the office, get here quickly thanks to our highly accessible central location.
• Wellness: Stretch away the stress every morning in our in-house yoga studio.

REQUIREMENTS:

Not everyone can be a Content Marketing Specialist. To be seriously considered for this role, please have the following in regard to:

• Experience: At least 3 years in a similar role with comparable goals and responsibilities (security and/or software background, preferred).
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in English, Marketing, Communications, or a similar field, preferred.
• Skills: You must be an excellent writer, someone who understands how to frame a message in a clear, concise, and compelling way. You must also understand the mechanics of an efficient, effective Marketing Automation campaign (HubSpot experience, preferred).
• Characteristics: This is an autonomous position, so you should be self-sufficient and self-motivated. It’s also a creative role, so you have to be able to graceful receive criticism and feedback about your work.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

As Security Software’s sole Content Marketer, you’ll meet the initiative’s strategic needs on your own, experimenting, learning, and adjusting as you go. Along your journey to grow our brand’s audience and reach, you’ll be responsible for:

• Sculpting informative, entertaining, digestible articles that audiences can’t stop reading.
• Designing beautiful, rich infographics that are as engaging as they are shareable.
• Publishing easy-to-skim, value-driven eBooks for download in exchange for business-email addresses.
• Crafting persuasive, laser-focused landing pages that compel your target audience to take one valuable action.
• Purchasing targeted ad spend on well-performing social media platforms.
• Pulling prospects through each stage of our marketing funnel, gradually warming them up for a productive conversation with sales.

APPLY NOW

This ad, for all intents and purposes, is a generic example. It’s designed to illustrate, at a high level, the techniques that make candidates feel something when they read a job ad.

Nonetheless, it’s important to first use your knowledge of the role for which you're hiring to create an accurate ad -- one that reflects your company’s culture and specific needs.

Good luck -- although something tells me you have this one in the bag.