Don’t Believe Everything You Read in a Job Posting

(This post is inspired by an article by Ann Howell, a leadership coach and talent consultant with Howell Leadership Science, LLC)

Many job seekers read a job posting and think they are a perfect fit. But, in reality, there’s no way to know. No job description is 100% accurate. There are a myriad of reasons for this.

Some descriptions are poorly written, updated every five to 10 years, don’t reflect changes made to a role over time, or complied by recruiters who may not understand the technical requirements of a job, or by a manager who is still figuring out exactly what they want. And if you’re being interviewed by different people, they may not all have the same perspective on the role.

So what’s a job seeker to do? One strategy is to begin each interview with a question like this: “I’ve thoroughly reviewed the job posting, but just to make sure we’re on the same page, I’d appreciate it if you’d give me your perspective on the most critical aspects of this role.” The information you get will be invaluable.

Then there are job titles. Often, companies use the same job titles for what turn out to be very different roles in terms of experience and pay. A senior data analyst at a startup, for instance, may be responsible for strategic planning, generating weekly reports, and conducting team meetings. In a larger corporation, someone with that same title may be responsible for just one task.

Treat job postings as a guide, not an exact job description. Read them with a critical eye. Instead of judging a position based on the job title, dig into the details. Pay attention to how they describe the job and the skills and experience they deem important.

Lastly, ask yourself if you possess skills that are relevant for the position but aren’t mentioned in the posting. If you’re confident they can add value, you may have experience that sets you apart from other candidates—things the employer hasn’t even considered. Don’t be reluctant to find a way to ask if your assumptions are accurate and take advantage of the opportunity to differentiate yourself.

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