To think that too many job descriptions are written in gobbledygook?

[Destinysdaughter]

I'm looking for jobs online at the moment and I frequently have the experience of reading a job description and then thinking, I have no idea what this job involves! Is it just me ...?

Here's an example of one:

www.indeed.co.uk/m/viewjob?jk=4ecdb46136da04ed&from=serp

god no, me too!!

bring back the days when you wrote a nice hand written letter, or handed it in with the boss

this applying on line and working it all out is awful

Most job descriptions are utter waffle and tripe. It would seem a lot of people have a very grandiose opinion of what their work/ company is.

I gave up about 2 lines in.....

Urgh I hate it, thinking of going for a new job at the moment and have had a tentative look round the job sites. Most adverts made me want to poke whoever wrote it in the eye, repeatedly, with a rusty fork.

Oh thank you all, I thought it was just me! I've been out of the job market for a few years, as I've been a carer for my elderly dad and when I read some of these job descriptions I want to weep as I literally do not know what they are asking for or what the job actually is!

Well that one makes sense to me as I used to work in the sector but I agree that if you hadn't that would be a huge pile of nonsense!!

That one makes sense to me and I don't work in the sector.

That job is a housing support worker for a housing provider like sheltered accommodation or similar

I'd guess it's working with people in interim housing whilst their asylum claim is processed...? I work in the public sector though so it may be I'm used to the jargon!

Sorry - my previous response was quite blunt. I write jobs add for a living and that ad was crap. A job ad should sell the job the role is clearly entry level so should do away with industry specific language give a brief overview of the role, what they need from the candidate, why you should work for them and what you get for doing so. Unfortunately, many companies lose out on potentially great employees because they copy and paste a waffley job description that people can't be bothered to read.

The thing is, most jobs include an element of technical process that means very little to people who are not trained in it.

As an accountant, I would need to see the full range of requirements of a job to see if they corresponded with the bits of accountancy I have training and exams in, and didn't include the bits I don't do.

The whole list would mean almost nothing to my sister - who is a teacher.

Similarly, as a school governor, I struggle to understand a lot of educational terminology at the first attempt.

*job ads

Makes sense to me too. I'm not in that sector but am a public sector worker and have worked for charities before. I don't understand what you don't understand. It's supporting the service users (in this case asylum seekers) with being housed, getting the financial support they qualify for sorted and set up with health and education as required and that they are aware of local groups that could assist them. Plus the admin work needed to ensure that is done.
It also mentions an essential candidate will know the Home Office requirements, so presumably as you consider the job ad gobblydegook you don't know this and so probably aren't the right candidate. The right candidate will understand the ad.

Not with it - it isn't an entry level job - it is how ever a very badly written advert

I'm trying to write job descriptions ATM. I hate ridiculous ones but apparently "wanted someone who can sell shit" is not acceptable...

Yes that is my experience too. Some I think are done so that it can be somehow a different job from another to justify extra pay, or someone not being promoted, or made redundant.

That's a terrible salary if that isn't entry level.

I understood the ad and have never worked in that field.

I once saw an Iceland store advertising for a "Home Services Expert".

A little while later, they scribbled "(Driver)" underneath, since clearly nobody knew what the fuck they were on about.

It's a straightforward role for a low-skilled worker.

Unfortunately G4S seems to have included the title of every single SOP that applies in the advert. Would love to see the KPIs for the role!

Ha ha ha, a former employee of mine wrote she handled crisis management, and some other things which I cannot even remember because the language is too flowery. I wonder if crisis management meant dealing with me in a bad mood?

Just say what you mean! You are not trying to win the wordsmith contest.

I was making business cards for the same employee that I just mentioned. I asked if there was any other title instead of writing personal assistant? They came back and said something along the lines of life manager? I thought no way and kept it as PA. I think nowadays people like to try and embellish things a bit. I really don't think there is anything wrong with writing things as they are.

There is nothing wrong with working in a low skilled position. I am on the older side of millennial's, and I noticed the younger one Wanting to be the best or have a good job title. The young lady who worked for me used to write, assistant to the CEO in her emails to everybody. I asked her to please stop doing this as my organization Is not a multi million dollar venture and I am a very simple person.

I expect this is just lifted from the job description/contract, so you'll know what you'll be measured on and what you'll be expected to achieve. It's how many employers manage their staff nowadays, usually so the can justify a lack of pay rise as there'll always be something they can pull you up on.

To everyone who says it's clear (but without relevant experience) can you explain 'void management' ?

managing empty properties.