How you may be reading job postings all wrong

If you are an active job seeker, reading job ads and sending in applications is likely a routine part of your week. You see a job that looks interesting, submit an application, then wait to hear back. And maybe wait. And wait. When all you get in response is an automated “thank you for your application” message, it’s easy to get discouraged and think of your job applications all disappearing into the HR black hole. In fact, the number one complaint I hear from job seekers is: After I submit an application, I never hear back. When I talk with recruiters, their number one complaint is that they receive too many applications that do not match the qualifications clearly specified in the job ad. A study recently done by TheLadders helps explain this disconnect. They asked a group of job seekers how long they read a job ad before applying. Some 44 percent of respondents said they spend one to five minutes and 19 percent said they spend up to 10 minutes reading a posting before deciding to apply. However, when they studied these same candidates using eye-tracking technology, they found that this group actually spent an average of 76.7 seconds reading job ads for ones that appeared to match their background. It took them only 49.7 seconds to dismiss a job as not a fit. Surprisingly, only 14.6 seconds of that was spent reading the job qualifications and many skipped reading the job description entirely. Instead, most of their time was spent reading the job title and company description. This means that many candidates are deciding to apply to a job – or not apply to a job – without carefully considering the most important criteria: the job qualifications. Job titles can be misleading and vague and mean different things to different employers. Just because you have worked as a program officer for an international development organization doesn’t mean you have the same skills and qualifications required for a program officer position at a different organization or supporting a different kind of program. In the same vein, you may quickly dismiss a job because the title doesn’t really sound like what you are looking for; but when you get to the meat of the job description, it might actually be a good fit. While it is important to identify with the missions and values of the employer, the organization description is not going to give you the information you need to explain why you are a fit for this specific position. Some international development jobs have extremely specific qualifications and you may think, is there even anyone like this who exists? And believe me, recruiters often feel the same way. These requirements are often passed down from their donors and are not up for much negotiation. However, for a majority of jobs, I typically advise applying if you meet at least 80 percent of the criteria. Often, these are wish lists and a recruiter will be open to people who meet a majority of the requirements. Some requirements are less negotiable. Language fluency or citizenship, for example, or minimum years of experience and education are often non-negotiable and hiring officers won’t look at applicants who don’t meet those requirements. Devex allows employers to add these qualifications to their job postings and you might see a warning that you do not match these when you apply. This is to help you avoid wasting time applying for a position where you will automatically be disqualified because you do not meet key requirements. Employers could certainly do a better job of improving their job titles and descriptions to make it easier for applicants to truly understand their needs (and, well they could spend a little more time looking at applicants’ resumes themselves). But the key takeaway for job seekers is next time you are scouring the Devex jobs board, consciously look beyond the job title and company description and go straight to the crucial part: the qualifications. And then only apply to those were you truly meet the requirements. Focusing on these opportunities will help increase your chance of getting that callback. Looking to make a career move? Visit our career center for expert advice on how to navigate your job search - all you need is a Devex Career Account to get started.