Writing job descriptions and job postings is both a science and an art. There are training courses, research and studies that define necessary steps and elements of writing an effective job description. Then there is the marketing spin that is incorporated in writing the posting to make the company and position sound attractive.
The critical element in writing the posting is based on the employer knowing what they are really looking for. Do they?
Do they say, "I want to hire someone just like the last person who was in this job, only better".
Perhaps the employer says "If we could get someone who can do all this, we would be lucky".
Or maybe they say "Why don't we create a wish list of what we would like and see what we get".
When writing your resume, I recommend using the job posting as a guide for what to say and the key words to use. I still do. But it is important to remember that the employer might not always know what they are looking for exactly. You may not have all the key words or skills they are asking for, apply anyway. If you have 50+% of what the job is asking for- apply.
Also bear in mind, that the employer may not have listed skills in the posting that are important to the job. We can't know this unless we have inside information about the company. This is why networking with company insiders is valuable. You may be able to uncover skills or a problem that wasn't addressed in the job posting.
The process of hiring is extremely risky and extremely personal. The resume needs to present you both as a sure-fire solution to their problems (skills and accomplishments) as well as someone who is easy to like and get along with (traits).
Totally agree with your statement of applying even if you only match up to 50% of the requirements. Job descriptions is something that HR makes you do. The hiring manager, if she is even involved in the process of creating the description, generally has 50 other things to do. They will know a good fit when they see it. Or so they think. (But that is a totally separate rant.)
Posted by: mike lally | May 02, 2009 at 09:23 PM