For more information on how to craft great job vacancies, see the Hiring writers and editors guide.
Good job vacancies strike a balance between marketing a role and a company to prospective candidates, while also pushing unqualified candidates to screen themselves out before applying.
They are just one part, albeit a critical one, of a larger strategic hiring process, which involves a clear and succinct job proposal that informs the job vacancy, followed by an efficient and thoughtful interview process.
But the vacancy is the first time many candidates will hear about the position, which means crafting a great job vacancy is as much art as it is science, and there’s no reason not to have fun and get a little creative when writing them.
Key sections
- Description: A high level introduction to what the company is looking for, and why this role is important for the group, department or organization.
- Responsibilities: Ideally, this section can use the same verbiage as in the job proposal. The key is to have this be realistic and provide candidates a real picture of what they can expect.
- Who you are:In this section, provide specifics about the kind of experience, education or background the role would look for. Include some sense of what is a must, and what is OK if they don’t know everything about.
- How is success measured: In this section, provide specific examples of the outcomes this candidate should expect in order to be successful. This section can use the goals/outcomes section of the job proposal to do this.
- How to apply: Provide clear, specific instructions and don’t rely on job sites or platforms to do the work for.
- What to expect: Provide an outline of what candidates can expect if they’re successful in getting through this stage, including how many interviews and editing or writing tests, if any.
Samples
Writer/Reporter
Description:
Company is looking for an [entry level/experienced] writer to write about [specific topics, such as research the company has done, or analysis of brand advertising]
[These topics] are important to the company because [the larger goal your content maps back to.] Launched in [year, provide some background information about your content plan].
This [TK-person team] is looking for new writers to add to the beat, because we want to make a deeper impact [show the direct impact your writers will have on your overall brand, company strategy and goal.]
Responsibilities:
Your day to day job will include:
- Writing three vertical stories a week about major developments in the health care section
- Pitching and writing one feature a week that is a trend-based horizontal piece about a big development
- Finding 5+ speakers for a conference about healthcare the company is hosting
- Writing an agenda for the conference
Who you are:
This is the ideal job for someone looking to get their start in content and brand journalism, including career changers. You don’t need to know everything about [beat], but you should understand the basics of [TK.]
How is success measured
Success for this role will be measured both by quality and quantity. Candidates will be expected to routinely meet the requirements of the responsibilities above, but also to demonstrate the ability to consistently create high-quality content and to develop new ideas and approaches that sets us apart from the competition.
How to apply
Send in your resume, along with [TK] story pitches, including a suggested headline, 50-75 word description and the sources you would reach out to, to [TK].
What to expect
The interview process for the successful candidate will involve 4 stages:
- Initial video meeting with hiring manager.
- Meeting with other senior editors.
- Meeting with team members and colleagues.
- Writing test.
Unsuccessful candidates will be provided with high-level feedback where applicable.
Editor/Content manager
Description
Company is looking for an editor to [build/run] the [beat] section of its content plan.
[This area] is an important area for the company. We’ve spent the past [TK] years covering adjacent areas, but are now focusing heavily on [beat]. We’ve already seen a lot of interest from our clients and audience: In the past months, we’ve done stories like [TK,] [TK] and [TK.] We’re looking for someone to own and run this section.
Responsibilities
Duties include but are not limited to:
- Editing the section daily — between eight and nine features a day, in partnership with a copy editor
- Assigning features every week for the team
- Managing deadlines and workflows of the reporting staff
- Acting as a “coach” — working through story pitches with suggested outlines, structural guidelines and who to talk to for stories
- Planning a conference about [TK] slated for [time]
- Acting as a liaison between this section and the VP of content to track performance
Who you are:
This is the ideal job for a senior level reporter or editor looking for their next challenge in making a mark on the content strategy of a large firm. It’s the ideal mix of an entrepreneurial mindset with a data driven mind that can understand the success of stories and figure out the best path for content moving forward.
How is success measured
Success for this role will be measured largely qualitatively. The company expects the candidate to help improve both the quality and quantity of our output in a tangible way — on both a short-term and long-term basis — through the responsibilities outlined above.
How to apply
Send in your resume, along with a vision plan of how you would structure this section, including goals over the next three months, six months and one year. Please include three story pitches including headline, 50-75 word description and the sources you would reach out to, to [TK].
What to expect
The interview process for the successful candidate will involve 4 stages:
- Initial video meeting with hiring manager.
- Meeting with other senior editors and senior management.
- Meeting with team members, direct reports and colleagues.
- A short “beat memo” exercise to help demonstrate content approach.
Unsuccessful candidates will be provided with high-level feedback where applicable.