Job postings suck.
They are hard to read, lack critical information and generally are written in a way that can contribute to feeling rejected, even before you apply.
Before you abandon applying to jobs completely - here are 5 signals to look for so you can focus your efforts on networking with legit companies that pay well.
5 signals to look for in a job description
Job title is clear and easy to understand
Salary matches market rate for years of experience
Years of work experience is listed
Job description is well defined
How recently the job has been posted
Let’s review this job for a Front End Software Developer as an example.
✅ Job title - Well written, makes sense based on job description
✅ Salary - Yay! It’s listed, and within market rate
❌ Yrs of work experience - Missing, however, we can assume the job level from the salary, which is typical for Jr-Mid level engineers
✅ Job Description - Well written, easy to follow
✅ Date of posting - Only 2 weeks old, it’s still fresh!
🌟 Job poster listed - Bonus points for the recruiter actually being listed on the job posting, which helps you know who you can reach out to for networking
Verdict: ✅ Great job for applying + networking
TIP: If the years of work experience is missing but the salary is within maket range (70K+) than it’s likely a posting to cover multiple levels of roles from jr-mid level.
Here’s an example of a job that’s NOT a good use of your time pursuing
✅ Job title - Well written, makes sense based on job description
❌ Salary - Yay! It’s listed, however, it’s nowhere near market rate, in fact, far below market rate for the ask of 3 yrs of experience
✅ Yrs of work experience - Listed, but it’s very under market rate based on market rate for 3+yrs in the tech industry
✅ Job Description - Well written, easy to follow
✅ Date of posting - Only 3 days old, it’s still fresh!
🌟 Job poster listed - Bonus points for the person actually being listed on the job posting, which helps you know who you can reach out to for networking
Verdict: ❌ Salary is much lower than market rate - not recommended to spend time pursuing this job.
TIP: If the job mentions a list of clear leadership responsibilites and 3+ years of experience, the salary needs to be within market range for mid-level roles, which is usually from $120K+, depending on the company and location.
Another example of a job that on the surface looks good, but is paying under market rate
The requirements are clear - but the salary is offering $110K for avg 5 years of experience.
That’s a signal that this company is either not familiar with the market rate for designers OR they simply don’t value designers as highly in their company.
For reference, 5+ years of design experience, whether in graphics or digital, is about 130K-200K - so it’s way off base from their range.
The market 💵 rate in the USA for developers and designers for 1-3 yrs experience is $75-110K. Any job asking beyond 3+ yrs, can be anywheere $120K+
When looking for a new role, spend your time networking with companies that are worth your time.
That means noticing when a job description is paying market rate and is open to hiring at your level of experience. Sometimes one job posting can be open to multiple levels, so if the salary is good, don’t hesitate to apply! 🤩