The job post is a critical part of successful job searches (though we don’t always think of them that way!) A well-written job post gives you a good idea of expectations, needs, wants, and things that the company has been missing so you know how best to fill in those gaps. It also gives you some insight into the company itself; what it does well and what sort of red flags it is throwing up.
In this two-parter, we are going to look at both the red flags in a job post that should make you tread very carefully (if not outright run away) and some green flags that may make you want to put even more effort into polishing that resume!
No Salary/Wages Mentioned
Sure, some people may still hold out the idea that talking openly about salaries is somehow coarse or taboo, but nowadays, that idea is fading out. Most job seekers want to at least have an idea of what to expect for pay and when a job post doesn’t mention it, it’s not usually a good sign. Either it means the company doesn’t want to talk about it or they don’t know; either way, not good for you.
Yes, we all want to love our job and have passion for it, but those things do not pay the bills (trust me).
A Very Vague Job Description
The best job descriptions are ones that lay out exactly what you’ll be expected to do in plain language with the skills required well laid out. Anything else can become problematic, especially when it’s all very vague. Ignoring the fact that it’s hard to tailor a resume to a job post that doesn’t actually say anything, an ambiguous job description can often lead to a mismatch between new employees and expectations, causing frustration and turnover.
Watch out for buzzwords like synergy, dynamic and wearing many hats (not that I personally mind wearing a ton of hats, but most people aren’t chaos gremlins like me). These are filler words with no meaning except a vague hope that you can do anything and everything.
The Skill Requirement Doesn’t Match Reality
This happens a lot in tech jobs, but it can happen in other places too: the skill requirement doesn’t match with the reality of that skill. For example, if a company is asking for ten years of experience in a piece of software that has only been around for five. Another red flag is that the job role has a mashup of skill requirements; in this case, the company is probably hoping to hire one person for two or three roles.
Check to make sure the skills asked for actually fit the role! Even a chaos gremlin like me (heh) can still only do so much in an eight hour day.
The Posting Has Been Up for Simply Ages
If the job post has been around for a while, you should be cautious. There could be a few things going on, none of which are good:
- The job post is a ‘ghost’; it’s only there to make the company look like it’s expanding and hiring, but it actually isn’t. Some businesses do this to take advantage of tax breaks or to look better to potential investors.
- The role isn’t a priority to the business, so they aren’t putting much effort into finding anyone.
- The company is being way too selective, which means they are probably a nightmare to work for
- Nobody wants it! This usually means that the pay is bad, the role is too much of a mess, the interview process was awful, or the company culture looks bad.
It’s rare that a good job will stay posted for long, so a job post being there for a long time probably means nothing good and you may want to think carefully and do some research before applying.
What Culture?
Most companies will overshare about their values, their culture and their work environment. It can take up half the job post! And that’s a good thing – it gives you a good idea of what the company is proud of, what they expect from others, and what they feel passionate about. (You probably don’t want to see a company go overboard, but there should be something). When there’s nothing, this can be a red flag. Either there’s no culture to speak of, the company doesn’t know how to define their values and their culture, or they are trying to hide a reputation.
Demanding Language
Sure, some industries are going to go through periods of high demand or high stress, but these should be periods, not all the time. But if the job post comes out and demands things like “only the best should apply”, “must thrive under pressure”, or “high stakes role”, you might want to be careful. It could b that the role is regularly micro-managed, constantly high stress and chaotic or people are even mistreated. An aggressive tone in the job post probably means an aggressive company. And if that suits you, great, but if not, stay away.
It’s Just Poorly Written
A job post that is riddled with spelling and grammar errors, inconsistencies in language and tone, and is formatted poorly generally means that no one is paying attention to how it looked before it was published. Sometimes it even means that the post is a scam. Either way, the fact that no one even ran it through a basic spellcheck means that the job probably isn’t all that important and there are probably other chaotic things going on behind the scenes.
The Company Website Looks… Weird
Nowadays, most companies have at least something of a website and that can tell you a lot about the business. It doesn’t have to be fancy to be legitimate, but a website that is riddled with errors, hasn’t been updated in a long time, doesn’t tell you much or feels like it was put together very quickly can be a red flag. It usually means the people working at that company couldn’t be bothered to put together a professional website, which may make you wonder where else they cut corners. And worse case, a terrible website can be a hint that the whole thing is a scam.
You’re Being Asked to Do Way Too Much Upfront
A job post that requires you to go way above and beyond before you even hear from them is a red flag. This is common in jobs in the arts but other industries as well. If the job post requires things like completing a long unpaid project, an extensive portfolio or an application that will take hours to complete (all of which is unpaid), this is a red flag. They could simply be trying to get free work off people (so you’ll never hear back) and a company should be aware of how valuable your time is and treat it accordingly.
A Lot of Turnover
Are you getting déjà vu when you see a job post over time? It could be that the position has seen a lot of turn over and that can be a red flag. When a role has a lot of turn over, it could be the pay is bad, the expectations are too high or unrealistic, management is awful, or the work environment is terrible overall. You probably don’t want to try to ‘save’ the company by taking a job that so many others have abandoned.
You should always do a careful read of a job post before deciding whether to apply. It gives you a great way to target your resume and cover letter, but it can also give you some insight into whether you should be applying at all. So make sure to take the time to read it!
