Writing Job Descriptions

WHAT CAN A GOOD DESCRIPTION DO FOR YOU?

As an employer, your job description should be viewed as a marketing tool used to attract the top young professionals in your field. A good job description leaves a candidate feeling enthusiastic and energized by the opportunity, and also helps them to understand what is expected of them in the position. An excellent job description will yield qualified candidates, and will cut down on the time you as an organization will spend sifting through resumes that do not fit your needs. 

Passion and excitement for an opportunity is the motivating factor that pushes top candidates to send off those resumes. You want to attract candidates who read the description and immediately think to themselves “They are talking about me!”

Keep in mind what college students are looking for in an internship. More often than not, they are anxious to try out newly acquired skills and are looking for practical professional experiences. The opportunities students covet the most are the opportunities that speak to this need, and a well-written job description can energize the best young professionals into action.

 A detailed job description also ensures that you will hire a student who is aware of the expectations his or her position entails. Providing students with a clear picture of what the experience will truly be like will increase your chances of hiring that perfect match.

INTERNSHIP POSTING BASICS 

This section is laid out in accordance with the online job posting form and contains specific tips for each field on the form:

• Section 1 - Job Type and Location: Select a job type from the menu that most closely matches the
  major(s) you are seeking.  You may also include specifics in the 'Job Requirements' section (explained below). When making selection(s) in the location field, please indicate the location(s) that corresponds with where the intern(s) will be working.  

• Section 2 - Job Level: You must select undergraduate or graduate internship, or select both options to open the opportunity to different education levels (do NOT select the '3FIP Internship' level unless you are an OFFICIALLY APPROVED 3FIP EMPLOYER).  

• Section 3 - Job Title: Within this section, you must specify the type of internship you are offering by naming the position “Marketing Intern” or “Accounts Payable Intern” - not a vague title such as "Intern". 

• Section 3 - Job Description: This should be the body of your description, and should be free of grammar or spelling mistakes (professionalism attracts professionalism!). Use complete sentences to first outline your company’s mission and purpose with enthusiasm. In a separate paragraph, summarize any major projects or duties the intern will be responsible for fulfilling (you may use bullet point formatting if desired). Following should be a description on what you consider to be the ideal candidate. Lastly, be sure to include some highlights on what the intern can expect to LEARN and TAKE AWAY from the experience.

• Section 3 - Job Requirements: Keep in mind that many of the students applying for internships will lack extensive professional experience. However, it is appropriate to ask for specific qualities your company or organization holds in high esteem (organization, communication skills, etc). Be careful not to discourage otherwise qualified candidates by not listing a wide enough range of fields. For example, simply asking for Marketing majors may exclude interested and talented students in similar majors such as Public Relations, Advertising or Management. Many employers include a phrase such as “or related field” in their type list to encourage all qualified students to apply.

• Section 4 - Salary Information: This field is required, and students will respond best when information (details) regarding pay is upfront and honest.

• Section 5 - Contact Methods:  If your organization accepts online applications on ytour website, please select "Apply Online - Website" and be sure to type in the complete URL in section 7. Students will then be directed to your website if they click the ‘Apply Online Website’ link. To receive student application materials via email, select the "Apply Online - Email" method.  You may select one or both of these methods.  The additional methods listed are inactive and will be ignored by the system (i.e. mail, phone, etc.).

• Section 6 - Other Information: Although a specific date is not necessary (unless you require a certain start date), please indicate to the applicant when the internship will be fulfilled (ex: Summer, Fall semester, ongoing etc). If the internship is renewable and/or ongoing, you may wish to state that here.  The default for 'How many days would you like this position posted?' is 90 days.  If you would rather post it for 60 days, click the radio button next to that option.  To input a specific number of days, click the radio button next to that blank field and type in a number of your choice.  Likewise, if you want to specify a certain date you want the posting closed, click the radio button next to 'Close the position on' and select your date from the fields provided.

• Section 6 - Number of Position Open:  This field is required.  Unless your position is open to a specific number of applicants, place a '1' in this field (the data in this field is used for statistical reporting purposes).

• Section 7 - Contact Information: Information in this section is gathered for your choices in section 5 (i.e. when you choose 'Apply Online - Email', the email address listed here will be the link the student sees).  If you do NOT want students to see your name and.or title and/or company, you may indicate that in this section.

 JOB DESCRIPTION DON’TS  

• Don’t present the opportunity as mundane or boring. 
• Don’t neglect to offer a summary of your organization or company- students will pass you by if they don’t know what you are about. 
• Don’t embellish the job description. Although your postings must be valid experiential learning opportunities, if clerical work (answering phones, filing, cold-calling) is involved, let the student know how often such tasks will be required of them.  
• Don’t use company-specific language in the job description. A qualified student may feel discouraged if they are not familiar with the terms. 
• Don’t neglect liberal arts majors who may possess just the skills and talents you are looking for (English majors are excellent writers, History majors can contribute outstanding research skills, Philosophy majors are wonderful critical thinkers, etc.)  

 JOB DESCRIPTION DO’S

• Do Use energetic language to describe the opportunity (example: “This is a great opportunity for anyone planning to begin a career in the music industry!”).
• Do describe your ideal candidate using plenty of adjectives. 
• Do focus on what kind of experience you can provide for the student. 
• Do consider multiple majors that may possess the skills you are looking for, especially in the liberal arts. 
• Begin with a captivating question to the reader (ex: “Are you eager to begin a career in the broadcasting industry but can’t get started because you don’t have experience?”). 

USEFUL PHRASES TO INCLUDE IN YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION  

“This is an exciting opportunity for anyone interested in pursuing a career in ______”
“You will be offered the opportunity to work on exciting projects like_______” 
“The ideal candidate will possess the following skills…”  
"Intern will gain hand-on experience working in the field of______”  
“Intern will be collaborating closely with Director/CEO/Project Assistant/etc”
“Are you excited to begin a career in ________?”  
“We are looking for assertive, energetic and creative people to join our team”

“An internship with us can show you the ‘ins-and-outs’ of this industry”

“All assignments add value both to our company and to your development as a professional in the field”

“This is the perfect job for anyone interested in ______”
“______ majors will find this a valuable experience”

 KEY WORDS TO ATTRACT QUALITY CANDIDATES