Last week I was contacted by a recruiter who wanted to discuss a great new job opportunity. The thing was, within a few seconds, I could tell that not only was this NOT a great opportunity, it was probably a horrible one. I hate it when this happens. But I hate it more to think there might be some of us out there who end up taking these jobs or wasting their time with the interviews.
So, want to know a few of my best strategies to determine if a job or new contract I'm considering is a great one? Or one to start running from?
Here are 5 Way to Tell the Job you're Applying for is a the Wrong Fit for You.
1. The Job Description is Too Long
This is the fastest way to tell the job is probably not the right fit for you, or anyone else. If the job description is too long, it means one of two things 1. The person, likely your new boss, doesn't know they have more than one role within their job posting, and they don't know how to separate them out. 2. Or your new boss does know it's really a two person job, and just doesn't care, because if they have to work 60 or 70's hours per week and hate their lives, then so should you. Don't get me wrong I'm all for hard work, but I'm more about balance. If a job is promising no balance out the gate, run for the exit.
2. The Job Description has no structure
If the job description is one big messy blob, I stop reading right away. This tells me that if this description managed to make it to print, then your new potential boss doesn't know how to organize his or her ideas, and if they're big enough, the procurement or HR office doesn't know or care to either.
3. The Job Description Doesn't Require Any Experience, Education or Skills
Run for your life. If a job is promising to pay you money, and you don't require any experience, education or skills, then you've landed on some strange bizzaro world reality. If something sounds too good to be true...then it's a very likely some kind of scam. What you've likely found instead is someone who wants to waste your time, not pay you an actual salary with benefits, and only actually pay you on commission. I once spent two long days learning to sell door to door vacuums that was a horrible mistake, and it all started with an ad in the paper that promised big money, with no experience required.
4. There are spelling mistakes in the job description
If there are spelling mistakes in the job description, or really poor grammar, then the person or people who submitted the job posting are either over worked or under qualified. It also may mean the people who submitted the job posting do not value what they do, and may be mailing it in themselves.
5. The Recruiter Doesn't know what they are talking about
If you're receiving a call directly from a recruiter, and they are stumbling on their words, or reading from a script, then run for the hills. The recruiter in this case hasn't taken the time to understand the job. You might be one person in a list of 10- 50 they are calling today hoping someone takes the bait. Also, while we can't expect a recruiter to know the ins and outs of every job role they offer, they should know what the difference is between roles, at least at a basic level.
So the next time you're looking at a new job listing, or taking a call from a recruiter, be sure to keep the tips above in mind. It will save you time and give you back a few more precious moments to take care of the things that matter more in life. Like family. Like your health. Like making time for friends that make you feel great inside. Or if you're like me this Sunday morning, hitting the gym finally after a long week of work.
Until next time, do something for yourself today, and for someone else too...
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