The Job Of A Job Advertisement - 1871 Words

Deconstructing job advertisements Understanding what an employer is really looking for is important because it means we will not be wasting time applying for positions for which we are not suitable and have little chance of being considered for an interview. It also means when we do find a suitable position we can tailor our applications more specifically, providing us a far better opportunity of being recognised by the employer as a strong enough candidate that should be granted an interview. Deconstructing an advertised position for employment is a discovery process designed to ascertain information that is not clearly expressed in the job advertisement and to enable the application to be presented in the way requested by the†¦show more content†¦Analysing the job advertisement Quickly scanning the information on the skill and experience requirements enables us to assess at first glance whether applying has merit and is our first step in deciding whether to investigate the opportunity further. Quick visual scans can immediately rule out unsuitable positions that have a specific requirement you do not possess. For example the employer may be asking for three years experience in a similar position as an essential requirement. If you do not have this then it would be unwise to waste time on applying. There will be many people with such experience applying and your application will not be considered. However if the experience requirement is under ‘Desirable’ and you fit all the other essential requirements then you should apply. Malcolm Gladwell in his book ‘Blink’ (Little, Brown and Company 2007) discusses the concept of making flash decisions based essentially on our ‘gut’ feelings. When scanning a job advertisement for the first time – what is your ‘gut’ feeling? Recognise the feeling and then when you go into greater detail analyse the reasons why you may have had that feeling to make a more informed, less emotional, decision as to whether you should apply. We need to analyse and not just apply for any job that might fit. Rejection shock can occur in those candidates that send out multiple applications for employment and receive few or no responses. Rejection shock is a form of