In previous posts we’ve talked a lot about applying for the specific job that’s advertised.  It’s important to take the time to read the posting and apply for that job, not what you think it might be after a cursory examination.  What we haven’t really covered is the importance of a good job description.

Most of us who write for this blog are primarily providers on oDesk; only Sarah is really a buyer.  So most of our articles are focused on the provider’s side of things.  Even so, there’s at least one aspect of the buyer’s job that I feel qualified to make judgments on:  The job description.

As a provider I probably read more job descriptions than most buyers; after all, buyers aren’t spending hours a day looking for work.

When I read a job description there’s one thing I want to know before anything else:  Is this going to be a good fit for me and my skills.  Yes, pay rate’s important, but it doesn’t matter how much they want to pay if it’s not a job I’m willing or able to do.

I’m a writer, not a web designer so I’m not interested in a web design job at any pay.

The problem comes in when someone posts a job for a website and doesn’t make it clear whether they want design, which I don’t do; or content which I do.  It may even be for both.

It may not sound like a big deal, but it’s a real problem.

Providers can only apply for so many jobs per week, which makes the good providers rather picky about which jobs they apply for.  There’s no point burning an application on a job if you don’t know what it is.

Now this doesn’t mean that you won’t get applications if you post a job without a clear description.  What it does mean is that you might not get the applications you want if your description isn’t clear.  You’ll get the people who are desperate, and the people who don’t read the postings very closely.

If you’re lucky you might get a request for clarification from someone who IS well-qualified for your job.  But that’s only if you’re lucky.

Fortunately, there’s a simple way around this problem that any buyer can follow:

Write a good job description.

Be clear about what you want done.  Do you want something lightly edited or completely re-written?  Take the time to sit down and figure out what you want, then write the description.  If you can, ask someone to read your job description and see if they understand what you want.

For a buyer, your job description is profile and cover letter in one.  It’s all the provider really sees.  So make it good.

Tell us what you  want, when you want it, and how much you’re willing to pay.

Some of the best providers are specialists, they only do one kind of work but they do it very well.  If you want work done in their specialty then they’re the people you want to hire.  They’re not going to apply if they don’t know if your job fits their specialty.

Yes, you can invite providers to interview; but that takes more time and with the number of providers on oDesk you might not find the right one.  Even if you do, they may decline the invitation because they don’t realize the job does fall under their specialty.

That’s why it’s so important to write a good job description.

oDesk is about matching quality providers with quality buyers.  One thing they both have in common is high standards.  Quality buyers want good quality providers and quality providers don’t want to work for questionable buyers.

That’s why it’s just as important for a buyer to put the effort into a high quality job posting as it is for a provider to put their effort into a high quality profile and cover letter.

If you need that job done, do yourself a favor and make sure your description will attract the best providers.

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