The job description is a rich source of information for every stage of the job search. Unfortunately, I've noticed that a lot of people tend to ignore or glaze over the job description. In this blog post, I share the 5 ways to use the job description to advance your job search.
From my experience, here's how most people approach the job search - they'll be looking for jobs, they'll see a description, they'll scroll all the way down to the bottom, where it says “qualifications”. And if you're a woman, most women will look and try to figure out if they're qualified or not. If they think they're not qualified, they’ll be like, “You know what? I've not qualified. The End. Bye!”
Meanwhile, the top part of the job description has a lot of information. That part can be helpful in your decision-making process, your application for the job, during interviews, or negotiations.
That being said, this blog post focuses on the 5 ways to use the job description at different stages of your job search to help you advance your job search and position yourself as the ideal candidate for a role.
Now, the job description is pretty much an organization or company saying, “Hey, here's what we need,” right?
A job description is like a broad marketing call where they're indirectly saying they have a problem and they're looking for someone to meet their need or solve that problem.
Your role as a job seeker is to look at this call that has come from an organization and say, “You know what? Here's how I am the solution to the specific problem that you have outlined in this job description.”
That is why it's essential to not glaze over it!
I can't tell you how many recruiters I've spoken to who say they'll see a resume and they'll immediately think, “Did this person even read the job description at all? This is not aligned in any way, shape, or form.”
They've created a job description for a purpose. Its initial intention is to attract someone that can meet their need. So how can you use the job description to advance your job search?
Now, the job description can help advance your job search since it can give you many details about an organization, the industry, and the role. Before you even start job searching, you must know what you’re looking for.
When you read the job description and see the required skills, you’re going to ask yourself, “Are these the kind of skills I want to be using?” and as you see the expected tasks, you’re going to ask questions like “Do these tasks appear interesting to me?”, and as you read about the company information that’s usually on the top of the description, you’re going to be wondering like, “Does it sound like this is a company whose culture I want to be a part of? Does this sound like a company whose values align with mine?”
When you know the type of roles you're looking for - which can include having an ideal job profile, being clear about your non-negotiable values, and more - it becomes easier to evaluate a role for alignment.
To answer some of those questions I shared earlier, you'll also want to be super clear about the kind of skills you want to use and what you're interested in.
Once you have that information about yourself, your job is to read job descriptions with the mindset of “Does this align with what I am looking for?” because if you realize that your values, interests, and skills are out of alignment, I can, 99% guarantee that you're going to be unhappy in that role—no two ways about it.
The second way to utilize the job description to advance your job search is to use it to learn how to market yourself. One of the most common mistakes that I see from many women when they're job searching is not knowing how to market themselves adequately.
If you've heard or seen my content from elsewhere, you might've noticed that I mentioned this already, but I always say that when you’re job searching, you have one job. And that job is to become a salesperson.
When you're job searching, you are selling yourself, your skills, experiences, and accomplishments to the organization. That's your job. That's what you're doing!
For you to adequately sell yourself (not in a shady way, y'all, don't take it out of context! 😉), you have to know how to market yourself.
You have to know how to package your skills, experiences, and accomplishments and present them to the company for them to say, “this is who we're looking for!”
Figuring out the best way to market yourself starts by reading the job description because it shows you exactly what they are seeking.
Once you’ve got an answer to those questions, you’ll figure out how to position yourself, your experiences, and your skills on your resume in a way that 1) if you're applying online, can get past the applicant tracking system (ATS), and 2) if you're sending it directly to someone, the person can read it and say, “Oh my gosh, this is exactly what we're looking for, right? This is exactly what we put in our job description. This person is perfect!”
The point is the job description can help you figure out how to position yourself as that exact candidate that they're looking for.
The point is the job description can help you figure out how to position yourself as that exact candidate that they're looking for. Share on X
Now don't let anybody lie to you and say, “people don't read cover letters anymore”.
Recruiters and hiring managers absolutely still read cover letters. I did a survey of recruiters last year on LinkedIn. One of the questions I asked in there was if they still read cover letters. And I think about 60% of them said yes.
For many recruiters, the cover letter is what they actually start with before looking at your resume to see if you are even aligned with the role.
Similar to the resume, the cover letter is a space where you can package and market yourself for the role that you're looking for.
When you read the job description carefully, you can think about all those experiences that you put on your resume. You can think about how you can translate them to align with the job you're applying for.
Contrary to popular belief, the cover letter is not and should not be an exact replica of or a duplicate of your resume. They are two different documents that serve two different purposes.
The cover letter is where you're pretty much saying, “…because of all these things I did on my resume, here's how I can specifically take these skills and do these things that you're asking for in this job description,” for example, the cover letter is where you might be trying to get a message like - “I have created content in the past, I can use those skills to create content for this organization in this role that I'm applying for now." - across.
So, if you skip over some of the roles and responsibilities of a job description, then you're going to miss important ways that you can connect yourself with the role when you're applying for a job.
A lot of recruiters will skim the cover letter and see if they think you're a value-add before they even spend more time on your application packet as a whole. However, the recruiter should never have to guess if you're a fit. They should never have to ask themselves, “how could this person fit in our organization? How is this person a fit for this role?”
You need to spell it out clearly for them in all your materials: on your cover letter, resume, or on your LinkedIn profile… everywhere! They need to be able to see clearly how you are a fit without them having to guess.
That being said, the job description can advance what to say in the cover letter. It can also let you know how to write your career story in a way that aligns with the role you're applying for. It enables you to take all your experiences to create this narrative that positions you as the ideal candidate for the role you're applying for.
I can't tell you how many people dread the question “Tell me about yourself,” like, every time I talk about that question with a client, they have a hard time answering. They wonder if the interviewer would want to hear their life story or childhood.
The short answer is NO since it’s not really about you. It’s about who you are and how you can be the solution to their problem. It’s usually a mix of personal and professional.
The job description is pretty much a way for an organization to share their problems and how they need someone to fix them.
The job description is pretty much a way for an organization to share their problems and how they need someone to fix them. Share on X
So, when you come in an interview, and they ask to tell you, “Tell me about yourself,” this is your prime time and chance to connect yourself as a solution to the problem.
If you pay attention to the job description's specific words, it will help you advance your job search by preparing you for a response during an interview.
The fifth and final way you can use the job description to advance your job search is to use the job description to figure out the market rate or market value for the role you're applying for.
I have a program and a coaching community called Job Search SIMPLIFIED, where I walk you through the whole process of job searching to negotiating. If you've been in my community, I always say that negotiating your salary is not optional.
Let me emphasize that again: negotiating your salary is not optional.
You always, always, always negotiate because most organizations do not offer the maximum that they can at the unset. Why? Because if they can save money, why wouldn’t they?
Your job is to negotiate a salary that aligns with your value add. However, sometimes it can be hard to figure out what to ask for and how to have that conversation if you're not even sure what you should be looking for.
If you read the job description, you can use that information to adequately research similar roles in specific geographical areas to figure out the role’s market rate. Figuring out the market rate is a foundational step in negotiating a salary.
If you have enough details about the role (which comes from the job description), you can use it to do research. You can use it to even see if the going rate for this role is within your range!
Moreover, you can utilize the job description to research similar roles. Not every company uses the same title for the same roles. However, the job description will give you a sense of the roles and responsibilities. With that, you can find other people who are doing similar roles or responsibilities. You can set up a time to talk with them about their job and expected salary.
You can even go to various websites to do your research to see, “okay, here's what I can expect to be paid for this role,” and then ask yourself, “Is this a role that I really want to be in? Does this amount align with what I'm looking for in my lifestyle and just the compensation that I'm looking for?”
During the live session of this blogpost, some great questions were asked, scroll down to read the Q&A.
At what point do you negotiate? Is it right off the bat?
No, not right off the bat! You shouldn't start the conversation. The recruiter or the hiring managers should bring up the topic about money.
What if they (the recruiter, hiring manager, etc.) say they don't negotiate? in the interview
Then that's a problem! But generally, I'd be asking why they don't negotiate. Like, “Can you tell me a bit more about how come that's the company policy?” because that seems bizarre. I'd be wanting to know more about that.
That's a critical point for you to determine if this is an organization you want to stay with! If you have done your work and your research, and you know that your desired range is between, let's say $70 to $80,000, and then you go in the interview and they say, “the salary is $65,000, and non-negotiable,” then now you have a decision to make. Is that $65,000 below your walkaway number? And if it is, then it's time to walk away. That's literally why it's called the walkaway number. If it's within your range, maybe you stay.
The point is it is important that you know your numbers before you even start looking. However, if it’s a part-time role, it might be non-negotiable. If you are a freelancer or a contractor, maybe it might be non-negotiable as well.
I told my friend that as she was about to start the new job and she was nervous. I was like, “no, you have to!” and she did. Her employer gave her what she wanted with zero pushback. How can I achieve the same?
Most hiring managers are expecting you to negotiate. It's the norm at this point. Research has shown that most recruiters and hiring managers are impressed when you negotiate. So, when you don't, it's like, do you even know your value, sis? Do you even know what you're bringing to the table? Do we want to hire someone who doesn't have the chops or the savvy to ask for it? It sends a message when you negotiate.
Is this applicable in entry-level jobs?
Here’s the thing: the salary is not the only thing that's negotiable. There are other things that can be negotiable that will indirectly put money back in your pocket. But to answer the question: YES, it is possible for entry-level jobs. I know this since I personally helped clients negotiate entry-level job roles.
Is this applicable in the manufacturing industry?
Some hourly jobs are a set period. Unfortunately, you might not be able to bump up that number. Some of these are contractors or freelancers.
I've been in a position where they said from the start that the salary was non-negotiable. I asked why, and they said it would put me in the salary range of the position above me. What’s the problem?
Are you qualified for the position above you? Because if you are, they should give you the job. It’s not a personal problem. That’s my thought since I've gone into roles where I was getting paid more than people who had been there longer than me. I believe that if you have the qualifications, they should offer you the chance to have a salary range of the position above you.
This is why the research is important! You can't just come in and negotiate with emotions. It's not an emotional thing. You need logic and receipts. So, if you’ve done your research, looked at similar roles geographically with similar experiences and accomplishments and credentials as you, and saw that other people are being offered more than they're offering you, it's that time to decide if you want to be there.
Personally, I'd be saying no, and find something else.
How do you define a line between over asking for salary or showing your worth? Because what if I do ask for a salary that's out of their budget, but I'm open to knowing the budget allocated for the role?
First of all, let me start with this: get rid of the “worth” language. There's nobody ever anywhere in any point in time and any space in time that can ever pay you your worth. Nobody can pay what you're worth like literally nobody ever, ever, ever. You are not worth a dollar amount. No one can pay your worth. What they can do is pay you in alignment with your value add. So, let's start by switching that language you don't ask for your worth.
The line between over asking and asking for your value add comes back to the research and awareness.
If you...
Then you can back it up by the research! Again, don't negotiate with emotions. You can say, “Okay, based on what I bring into the table and my research for similar roles in this geographic location, this is my range. What can you do about that?”
As long as you are having a conversation based on logic, research, and receipts, you're never over asking. That would be my parameters for over asking.
What exact amount should I start with?
As mentioned before, I would rather let the organization tell the number first. When I work with my clients, I advise them to never give one amount, but always give a range. In that range, the low end should be a little bit above what you're looking for. Why? Because half the time, they can afford you, they're just choosing not to.
You need to know your walkaway number before you even start, because you can be out of their budget, but are they below your walkaway number? If they are, then it's time to walk away. If they're not, then it's up to you to decide if you want to take that offer. But again, remember that there are other things you can negotiate. It’s not just the money.
What is the best answer to “what's your salary expectations?”
Again, the goal is for them to give their number first. However, if they keep pushing and saying, they need to know your number, just give them your range.
My advice is if the range you walked in with was $70,000 to $80,000, and they're forcing you to give a number, I personally would say $75,000 to $85,000. I'll add to it just in case. But be careful! Before you say a number, just make sure that all the numbers in that range satisfy you.
Backing up, ultimately, just try to know their budget first. Saying your salary range should not be your first choice.
At this point, having conversations with other people might be useful. Sometimes you might need to talk to people in the company in similar roles to figure out how much you should anticipate for the role.
How do you negotiate for a state job?
Most (but not all) state job salaries are public, especially if they're federally funded. Again, you can research it to know what to expect. But remember, the salary is not the only thing that's negotiable.
You say that if they offer the lower end of your salary range, you should be wanting other benefits. Is that a disclaimer to the recruiter/hiring manager?
It's not a disclaimer. When you're negotiating, you don't only negotiate the salary. There are other things to negotiate, but you should negotiate all those things at once.
I'm negotiating the salary and all the other things that are in this package that you have offered me. Don’t accept anything at face value. It’s not the case of “Oh, you can't give me the money? I want something else," if they can’t give the money, push higher on all the other things, or you can choose to walk away. So, it's not a disclaimer. It’s just looking at the entire compensation package.
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