I'm sure most of you remember the e-mail that went around a couple of years ago about job postings. I don't know what happens in the brains of recruiters when we're tasked with writing descriptions. Something happens where we stop speaking in plain language, and start listing terms that have more to do with sounding "professional" rather than speaking the truth.
The point of a job posting is to explain what the person applying for the job will actually be doing and what is required of them. So why exactly do we pick terms that are nondescriptive, ambiguous, and completely worthless?
These are some parodied terms - if they strike you as funny, that's because they are painfully true.
If the job says:
Competitive Salary. What they mean is:
We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.
Join Our Fast-Paced Company. What they mean is:
We have no time to train you.
Some Overtime Required. What they mean is:
Some time each night and some time each weekend.
No Phone Calls Please. What they mean is:
We've filled the job; our call for resumes is just a legal formality.
Seeking Candidates With A Wide Variety of Experience. What they mean is:
You'll need it to replace three people who just left.
Requires Team Leadership Skills. What they mean is:
You'll have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay or respect.
I wonder what the desription looked like for the referee position in Gardner, KS.
Be able to guide children in their pursuit of learning the skills of basketball.
Atually mean, scream and yell at kids and beat them until they learn basketball.
Posted by: Sam | March 16, 2007 at 04:51 PM