Writing an ad for an existing job vacancy is a strange mix of information writing and copywriting. When it’s done with too much information it sounds dull, like the type of job no-one would go for, but if it has too much copywriting then the ‘sell’ of the job confuses and sometimes even deceives potential applicants. Recently we advertised a couple of roles at ArtsHub and it’s made me think about how to write a job application that is clear yet still inspires good applicants.
Here’s our top tips for writing a job ad:
- Trust the position description
- Make your job title clear
- Keep it real
- Prioritise selection criteria
- Be transparent
- Hold the jargon
- Socialise it
- Who should apply?
- Where to from here?
- When the job closes;
- How they apply – including whether they need a covering letter, an individual response to the selection criteria or referees; and,
- Who can they contact for more information.
A job ad is separate to the position description (PD) and while they might have elements in common – such as selection criteria and responsibilities – they both have different strengths. The PD has the depth, the detail about your organisation, and how to apply or how an application might be assessed. A PD is also the place for deeper information on the team structure, who the role reports to or how many people report to the role.
If you trust that you’ve developed a good PD then your job ad can refer to it for more details. This frees up the job ad to highlight what’s best about this role.
Some advice on writing a job ad suggests coming up with the ‘killer’ job title which led to roles describing themselves as ‘ninjas’ or ‘rock stars’. This makes it harder to see what the job actually is and – unless you can deliver on nunchucks and guitar solos – sets unrealistic expectations about what a successful applicant will be doing day to day.
At the other extreme, you should avoid non-specific nouns like ‘officer’, ‘worker’ or ‘advisor’. They don’t tell the applicant what they will actually be doing, and also make the job seem dry. Larger and government organisations have less flexibility on their job titles so this means you will have to be clearer in the position description.
Just because your ad ‘sells’ the job that’s no excuse to exaggerate it. If the job involves photocopying, calling it ‘an exciting opportunity to break into the reproduction industry’ sets the wrong expectations. Stick to the things you know the role will be doing and don’t include possible tasks just to make it seem more attractive.
It’s typical to list selection criteria in their order of importance, so look at the first few selection criteria as the role’s must-have skills. Thinking through selection criteria at this stage can help in interviews because you’ll be starting to think about what you really want from an applicant and what might be optional. If you need a qualification for this role then this is the place to state that you need a Masters in Fine Art, though increasingly a degree may be preferred rather than necessary.
Of course, you want every applicant to have some of each of the selection criteria, but when you’re comparing applicants it’s important to know which skills they definitely need (usually the first few) and which ones you might be able to train them in.
Being transparent on salary makes it fair for applicants who get a clear idea of what you’re offering. It saves them (and you) the time of an application for a job they can’t afford to take. It also means that over-qualified applicants or those expecting higher salaries will self-select and not apply. That’s one less application to review but also by being clear means it saves a lot of negotiating further down the track.
There are several resources across the arts for salaries depending on the artform, but the Media and Entertainment Arts Alliance (MEAA; for the performing arts and writing) and National Association of the Visual Arts (NAVA; for visual arts) are good starting points. You can also benchmark similar roles by looking at what’s currently available on the ArtsHub’s job page. Applicants for arts jobs will be browsing our site, so by reviewing what’s available you can see where your role will fit in a busy employment market.
Transparency is more than just salary though, so you might want to make details like a preferred start date or location clear in your ad.
Read: Shining a light on salaries
There is a lot of specialist language in the arts sector. Sometimes it’s useful to make distinctions but if your audience doesn’t know their creators from the curators then sticking with plain English is the best way to ensure your job is accessible to the largest pool of applicants. Avoid dressing your ad up in complicated jargon and save the art wank for a catalogue or grant application. It might be important to get applicants with a knowledge of the arts, but better to get applicants to show their understanding of the sector through the application letter and through a subsequent interview.
In today’s job market, applicants are likely to hear about a job from a friend on social media. That’s how I found out about my latest job here at ArtsHub. To make it easier to share, write a short sentence about the role. If your selection criteria are prioritised then the first few criteria should give you some text for the role. Then source an image that will catch the eye in a busy social feed but also gives a sense of the job. An image of your building or a stock image won’t inspire applicants or let them know what the role is about on Instagram. At ArtsHub we can help you boost the message on social (and help you write the post) to find more applicants.
Think about who you want to apply for your job and then use language that speaks to them. Most job ads are friendly and chatty (while a PD is more formal) but if that doesn’t suit the job then keep it clear.
It used to be common to signal who might suit your job – for example ‘would suit an early career artist’ – but this can exclude applicants who might be outside your original idea of the role (as well as being possibly discriminatory). It’s better to let applicants self-select based on salary and skills to decide what’s right for them.
On the web you never know how an applicant will see your ad – browsing on their phone at the train station or looking through hundreds of other ads at their desktop. With this in mind, you should make it clear what they need to do next by clearly stating:
It’s best to finish with a clear call to action, a single line that says what to do next and which encourages applicants to apply now.
