BS job descriptions decoded
BS job descriptions decoded
Does anyone else get the feeling that more and more job descriptions are being written by AI?
The job title is really specific, but dig into the job spec and it seems what they really want is a UNICORN 🦄.
Job descriptions have become a long shopping list of skills and experience which it would take a whole team to deliver.
And then there are the euphemisms which some clever soul (or maybe AI) came up with to make the job sound attractive.
Let me decode the most popular ones so you can save yourself the trouble of applying.
BS job descriptions – decoded
🚩 “Fast-paced environment”. We don’t have enough people to do the work, so you’ll be running around like a blue-arsed fly doing the jobs of several people simultaneously.
🚩 “A varied job where you’ll be wearing many hats”. See above. The hats in question are those of the previous employees who have long since fled this sinking ship.
🚩 “You’ll need to be flexible”. Notice they’re not offering flexibility in return. You need to keep your phone on 24/7 and be at the beck and call of the leadership team. Don’t expect to be paid overtime for this.
🚩 “We’re like a family”. We’re like a cult.
🚩 “Competitive salary”. Oh yeah? If it’s so competitive, why won’t you tell us what it is?
🚩 “Flat structure”. There is no discernible leadership.
🚩 “You’ll need to be adaptable”. Be prepared to pivot from one strategy to another, on the whim of the CEO.
🚩 “We work hard and play hard”. No one here has a life outside of work. Expect to work long hours and then be pressurised into going to the pub to drown your sorrows.
Seeing these in a job description makes me want to run for the hills.
You know you’re worth more than this.
That’s one of the positive outcomes of coaching: knowing your worth; having the confidence to throw these BS job descriptions away, so you can focus on the companies that understand your value, where you can thrive.
