Writing Effective Copy for Job Opening Advertisments

Eisla Sebastian
While the unemployment rate is still very high, companies are still in need of quality employees. If you are running a business and need to hire someone new you need to be careful about how you compose your job opening ad copy. Use the wrong phrases and you can end up with dozens of applicants that do not have the right qualifications for the job, however, if you use the right phrases you can focus your search and reduce the amount of time you have to spend screening applicants.

Job Ad Title

The title of your open job position ad is going to be either the name of the job you are trying to fill or a catch phase. For example, you can title your ad "Office Manager for CPA Firm Wanted," or "Office Manager" or "Organization Pro Wanted for Disorganized Office." The title needs to tell the job hunter something about what the ad is for as most job seekers skim the newspaper for the titles that look the most promising.

It is important that you do not make your advertisement title too gimmicky. Titles like "Get Rich Quick" or "Make $3,000 a Week." Even if these statements are true they are going to come off as sales pitches or possible scams. Keep your titles professional and accurate.

Job Descriptions

When writing job opening ad copy a good place to start is with a job description. The job description for the open position will highlight the minimum qualifications and skills that are required to successful complete the duties related to that job. From this list you will want to select the most important qualifications. For example, degree requirements, years experience and experience working with specific pieces of equipment or software are good choices.

Work Schedules

Another element you can add to your job opening ad copy is a brief description of the work schedule. This is only required if the job does not have a standard work schedule of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Work schedule information that can be beneficial to add to your advertisement include flex time, part time, full time, weekends required or flexible scheduling options. These pieces of information will help eliminate people who cannot meet the scheduling requirements for the job.

You can also simply state how many hours are required each week. For example, you can say that the job is 40 hours a week or 35 hours a week or 20 hours a week. You can even say that the position is a PRN position, or an as needed schedule.

Format of Ad

The format of your open position ad copy needs to be to the point. Your title will introduce the job that is open. You will then want to detail the type of job that is open, the number of hours that it entails, what you are looking for and how much it pays (optional). Finally, you need to tell people how to apply for the job and how to apply for the job. For example, you can end your ad, "fax your resume to: 888-123-4566."

Reference

http://www.ehow.com/how_5695797_describe-person-want-job-vacancy.html

Published by Eisla Sebastian

I have lived and worked in the Missoula Valley most of my life. I am a freelance writer and emergency management specialist. I operate my own small consulting firm for business disaster preparedness and al...  View profile

2 Comments

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  • JerseyNana12/3/2009

    Nice job, Eisla!

  • Jackie DiGiovanni12/3/2009

    Good information.

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