Have you applied for so many jobs, that you, yourself could write an ad for it? Are you so overly familiar with these same keywords “efficient” and “hard-working” that it makes you cringe when you read it?
If you saw two job postings, both at opposite ends of the spectrum in the work world, a fireman on one end and an admin assistant at the other end, there is an 80% chance that the words “hard working” and “efficient” are in both postings at least once.
On the contrary, more often than not, do you see the words; rockstar/wizard/guru/ninja/jedi used as an alternative to the word “expert”?
It would be safe to say that a majority of job applicants would be more intrigued to apply for a position as a “Computer Wizard” than a “Efficient Computer Programmer” …
Here are a few other translations to help you understand what job postings these days are saying…
- Work in a professional manner – Turn up before 12 pm fully clothed.
- Team Player – Not going to fight with everyone.
- Works well as an individual – We don’t have time to spoon feed you everything.
- College Grad – We value academic knowledge over work experience.
- Fast Paced Environment – Getting thrown in at the deep end and being able to swim out.
- Pays attention to detail – We need you to double check everything for us.
- 5 years experience – Nothing else on a CV can help us comprehend your seriousness unless this is your minimum amount of experience.
- Think outside the box – You need to really scrape the barrel with creativity because everything our existing team has come up with so far sucked.
- Customer orientated – Be polite to customers without swearing.
- Computer Savvy – Know the difference between a mouse and a cloud.
- Problem solver – We need your answers so we can look good to the boss.
- Start immediately – We are under pressure to find a replacement for an ex employee who left because they couldn’t put up with our own circumstances.
It’s safe to say that it’s not just more competitive now for the applicants, but it is also a fight on the other side. They are on the lookout for the cream of the crop, so to gain the best applicants on their team, employers are beginning to use their very own “outside-the box” methods.
All things in moderation, including moderation. If you are looking to be part of a team that has created a certain dynamic and specific job role then jedi knight and ninja all the way. For the rest of us, we can be as hard working and efficient as possible and we still might get nowhere. If that’s the case, it’s time to do some tweaks to your CV and do your homework on successful job applications!
Millennial Genie 