Seth Rabinowitz was puzzled by a series of job ads that were sent to him for review by a client. He's a partner at Silicon Associates, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based management consulting firm that occasionally helps clients to fill job openings.
One ad: "Wanted: Sales agents who are able to stare intently into client eyes while describing what they are looking for."
"The company had issues with past sales agents that didn't pay enough attention to client demands," Mr. Rabinowitz says. While the company clearly needed to better manage its existing staff, he says the ad did provide useful insight for job applicants who were able to get past the odd wording and see the demand for greater sensitivity to clients: "I'd...address it smack dab in the middle of the cover letter. You'll also have at least a couple easy questions to ask about during the interview."
Although deciphering a job ad can be tricky -- especially when the ad writer isn't the person that's actually doing the hiring -- you need to be able to extract what hiring managers implicitly want so you can participate in an effective interview.
This requires you to read between the lines of job ads.
First, make sure you meet all of the hard requirements like "graduate degree required" or "minimum of 10 years experience."
These are non-negotiable in academic and public-sector jobs that have very specific job descriptions.
Peruse other job ads from the same employer. This can give you a better sense of the tone of a company, says Mathew Curtis, clinical assistant professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in Los Angeles.
Mr. Curtis suggests mirroring the language of the company when crafting your replies to the ad. "Mimicry boosts the personal connection with people that you're talking to," he says. "If they use jargon, you should use jargon in your response to their ad. If they use multi-syllable words, you should, too."
Be aware of how the wording of job ads may affect your perception of the company and your attitude during interviews. Many employers still use gender-biased wording when describing typically male or female roles, finds a new study co-written by Aaron Kay, associate professor of management, psychology and neuroscience at Duke University in Durham, N.C.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903927204576577230493495482.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_4
