Job Ad Postings That Tell You Not To Apply

As a job seeker, you need to identify job ad postings that tell you not to apply so you don't fall into a dead-end career. There are many con artists out there that do not tell the whole story during the recruitment process.

• Job ad postings - Read between the lines
• How do you differentiate between a bad and a good job posting?
• What are the negative job posting trigger signs?
• What are the key indicators to scrutinize in a job offer?
• Job ad postings - Conclusion

Job Ad Postings - Read between the lines

Ever been on the lookout to further your career or just looking for another job? We've all been there and it did not always work out the way we expected.

Full of enthusiasm you will make the move and then realize it was a mistake.

The main reason is that most of the time the shine is laid out in job ads and they are very generic not telling the truth about the job.

Employers do not put the effort into clarifying the position to potential applicants and then waste their time through many interviews in a lengthy process.

There are many red flags signaling a problematic organization but because applicants are desperate or ignore these by choice it goes by the wayside.

The end result is ending up in a place you don't want to be.

How do you differentiate between a bad and a good job posting?

Unless you've done intense homework or know someone personally you will never be 100% sure until you get there.

There are, however, a few trigger words and signs you can look for which will throw up a warning sign.

There are a few things you must do before looking through job ads

• Know exactly what you are looking for.
• Know what is the minimum expectation you have for the next company you want to work for. Remember you want to improve your life.
• Know where you want to work and how you are going to get there.
• Know the size of the company you are looking at joining. 

There are certain things a job posting will never tell you but it is possible to look at the posting and see how much effort was put into the presentation. Always ask for a job description upfront in order to see the scope of responsibilities. 

Generic job descriptions should be a big red flag.

What are the negative job posting trigger signs?

Often it is not too hard to spot a generic posting or a negative trigger sign.

Depending on where you are looking at job postings a typical example of a job posting will be something like this:

Our Client, a successful family-run company with over 20 years of experience in manufacturing, is currently looking for a Purchasing Manager to join their team based in Latglow South.

Some of the responsibilities include:

• Purchasing components, raw materials, and services of the correct quality and reliability
• Ensure deliveries are on time
• Negotiate the most economic price for all items
• Control both the size of the supplier base and its geographical area
• Purchasing research, eg market trends, new products, quotations, catalogs, etc.
• Stock control (bought out); maintain adequate stock levels to cover variations in product mix plus spares. (Review on a regular basis). In liaison with design.
• The successful candidate will have a sound background in Purchasing ideally in a manufacturing or engineering environment.
• Must have your own reliable transport and be willing to work flexible hours and Sundays

There are a few things we can detect going through the posting if you are in the purchasing the deal looks fairly good but there are one or two things you must pay attention to.

The main thing we can see is that it is a family business and there are two things that come to mind with a family business.

It does not mean that it is a successful company it is run well as the posting was probably done by a family member so the operations might be small to medium.

If that is what you want no problem but you won't always find corporate structures here.

The concept of Purchasing Manager can take on two totally different meanings in these conditions.

The fact that it is family-run also might indicate that your role is artificial and you will have no decision-making power.

Often it is hard to blend into a family business as acceptance of "outsiders" is not common. One will only know once you can view a proper job description and see where you fit into the family structure.

Point one tells you that you will be involved with some form of quality control which is fine if it is what you expect. - Find out if there is assistance or are solely responsible for quality checks.

Point two indicates that you will have to monitor incoming delivery times - Find out if you will do this by yourself or if there is a supporting team.

Points three, four, and five are what is normally expected from a Purchasing Manager in any organization.

Point six indicates that as the manager you will be responsible for stock takes as well - Find out what the supporting structure for stocktake and stock control is like.

The final part of the posting should throw out a whole bag of red flags and will need much deeper investigation before you will have all the correct facts - The fact that they want you to have a reliable mode of transport tells you either that they are concerned that you will not make it getting work daily but it can also mean that they want you to have a vehicle which they can use for the benefit of the company. Their benefit, your cost.

That you must be willing to work flexible hours can mean one of two things - They are not as efficient as they are successful and there is a lot of uncompensated overtime work which they expect you to be present for.

It can also mean that as one person you will have so much work that you will not be able to maintain normal work hours.

What are the key indicators to scrutinize in a job offer?

Before responding to a job posting, examine the following key indicators:

Job title: Make certain that the job title accurately reflects the position for which you are applying.

Job responsibilities and duties: Look for a clear and comprehensive description of the job responsibilities and duties. This will give you a good idea of what the job entails and if it is a good match for your skills and experience.

Qualifications: Take note of the qualifications needed for the job. Before applying, make sure you meet or exceed the requirements.

Location: Consider the job's location and decide whether you'd be willing to relocate or travel to work.

Salary and benefits: Research the available salaries and benefits. This will give you an idea of whether the pay is competitive and meets your needs.

Company culture: In the job posting, look for hints about the company culture. This can give you an idea of what it's like to work at the company and whether its attributes and work style aligns with yours.

Application procedure: Pay close attention to the application process and ensure that you carefully follow all instructions. This demonstrates your attention to detail as well as your professionalism. If there is no clear process it should also be a negative signal.

Job Ad Postings - Conclusion

It is important to know what you are looking for before starting to look at job postings as it will help you find the "no-go" areas much quicker. you will be able to investigate job postings at a deeper level before accepting them blindly and being sorry later.

By focusing on what is being revealed in the job ad you can quickly decide if you want to apply. It should also provide enough information to allow for further investigation.