A fulfilling job starts with a job description filled with green flags. We’re talking benefits, a clear salary range, defined roles and responsibilities, and a well-reviewed workplace.
But what are some of the no-nos you should be equally wary of? The team at Woods & Co put their heads together for our coveted career seekers and came up with a list of job ad red flags.
For more help finding your dream job through a professional recruitment agency, get in touch with Woods & Co and let us do the dirty work.
You don’t have to be a professional proofreader to know when a job description is super vague. As you seek out your dream job, be on the lookout for simple things like subheadings and bullet-pointed lists of tasks you can expect to perform in the new role.
If the description has simply copied in slabs of text with boring phrases like “client engagement” (emails), “internal communications” (more emails), and “data analysis” (deciphering terrible emails), it might be worth asking a few more questions.
You want measurable, actionable responsibilities you can actually envision yourself doing as you read a job description, so that’s what we aim to write at Woods & Co.
There are plenty of roles where formal qualifications aren’t necessary, and some employers are happy to train the right person.
But a good job ad should still give you a clear idea of the experience, skills or attributes they’re looking for.
We’re not talking about asking for 3–5 years of experience in an entry-level role. It’s about giving candidates enough information to understand whether they’re genuinely suited to the opportunity.
If an employer can’t explain what they’re looking for at all, it might be worth finding out why.
You’ll see this one on a lot of job descriptions.
And to be fair, plenty of genuinely great workplaces are fast-paced. But if it’s paired with phrases like “works well under pressure,” “excellent at multitasking” and “handles stress well” without much explanation of the team, resources or support available, it might be worth digging a little deeper.
Ask what “fast-paced” actually means day to day.
Other buzz phrases worth questioning include “we’re like a family,” “fun-loving vibe” and “must have a sense of humor.”
Not necessarily deal-breakers — but definitely worth asking about.
Here’s a big one: be very cautious if you’re being asked to pay upfront for someone to find you a job.
In the US, legitimate staffing and recruitment firms are typically paid by the employer rather than the candidate. The Federal Trade Commission also warns job seekers to be wary of placement firms asking for fees, particularly upfront payments.
At Woods & Co, candidates don’t pay us to find them a job. Our recruitment services are paid for by the businesses that engage us.
That means you can speak with our team, hear about suitable opportunities and get support throughout the recruitment process without a candidate placement fee.
There are plenty more things to consider as you move through the application process — strange interviews, high turnover, poor communication and messy hiring processes, to name a few.
But we’ll save those for another blog.
We hope these red flags hold you in good stead throughout the job search and help you land the right role. And if you’d like some support along the way, get in touch with Woods & Co and let us help you separate the green flags from the red ones.