Reading a Job Description

A job description is written to attract applicants and reveals more than it intends. Most of the information is in how it was written rather than in what it says.

Six things it tells you unintentionally

Length and specificity. A precise description of a real job reads differently from a list assembled from a template. Twenty bullet points means nobody has decided what the role is. For a related reference, see this guide.

Whether it is a replacement or a new post. New posts describe an outcome; replacements describe a set of duties inherited from a person.

Seniority inflation. A title two levels above the responsibilities usually means the pay is below the title, and the title is the compensation.

How they talk about hours. "Fast-paced", "wear many hats", "self-starter" are not neutral descriptors in aggregate.

Whether the salary is there. Its absence is a negotiating position and, increasingly, a legal question depending on jurisdiction.

And the reporting line. Given the size of the manager factor, a description that does not say who you report to has omitted the most consequential fact in the posting.

What to ignore

The requirements list, largely. It is aspirational, assembled by committee, and applying at seventy per cent match is normal.

Culture language. Every posting claims the same things and the claims are uncorrelated with the reality.

And benefit lists, which are comparable across employers and rarely decisive.

The three questions that settle it

"Why is this role open?" New, replacement, or the third one — somebody left and the work was redistributed until it was unbearable. The answer is usually given honestly and it tells you more than the posting.

"Who would I report to, and how long have they been in that role?" The single largest factor in whether you stay, and a manager three months into the job is a different proposition from one who built the team.

And "what would the first six months look like if it went well?" A specific answer means somebody has thought about the role. A vague one means you would be defining it, which is fine if you know that in advance.

What to ask that most people do not

"What is the turnover in this team?"

Uncomfortable and answerable, and the answer connects to everything else here. A hesitation is itself informative.

"How are decisions about promotion made?" Trajectory is the second largest retention factor and the answer is frequently that nobody knows.

The short version

• The posting reveals length and specificity, replacement or new, seniority inflation, how hours are described, salary transparency, and the reporting line
• Twenty bullet points means nobody has decided what the role is, and a missing reporting line omits the most consequential fact
• Ignore the requirements list, culture language, and benefit lists
• Three questions settle it: why the role is open, who you report to and for how long, and what a good first six months looks like
• Ask about turnover in the team — uncomfortable, answerable, and a hesitation is informative
• Ask how promotion decisions are made, since trajectory is the second largest retention factor and the answer is often that nobody knows

For additional context on this topic, see Financial Times.