People who write job ads use a type of shorthand. They use phrases to convey a certain sense of what the job is about. In the same way that estate agents do when they are describing houses.
By beginning to be a bit more evaluative of these phrases you can be prepared! Think about what certain phrases may mean.
Here us a start, and if you want one decoding, send it in to Denise.
Attractive salary and benefits package: Why won’t they specify? Could be because they don’t know how much the job is worth, or that it will be higher than for existing employees.
Demanding environment: Could be long hours or could be that a layer of management has been taken out from the company so you will gain some good experience, but at what personal cost?
Dynamic: Is the company dynamic, or do they want to change the culture and hope you will be the catalyst. Is that what you want?
Flexible: May have to travel at very short notice.
Fresh culture, great promise for the future. Is this a new company, in which case you want to ascertain how the company is financed. Have there been massive changes, and is everyone on board?
Play a key role: Too vague! Is it to take the company forward or to make the tea!
Proven track record: You must have the detail to back up what you did to move the project forward. You need to have facts and figures to show that you moved the project on from X to Y, with statistics to back you up.
Quick learner: There may not be any support. Will this be acceptable?
Self-starter: You will need to show initiative and there will be little support.
Sense of humour: Is it a friendly and light hearted company or do you need this to cope with the pressure?
Stimulating position for the right person: Could be long hours.
Training: Will you get the training to make you marketable in the future? This is very important for new graduates.
