What Those Job Postings/Advertisements Really Mean

Every year, senior college students, senior high schoolers, and college students going home for the summer begin to search, around March if they are like me, for jobs either for the summer or for "real life". And job postings, like every other aspect of the "employment industry" are trendy, and follow certain patterns. An example: everyone is looking for a "self-starter" these days.  This is an evolution of the statement "highly motivated individual" and it's predecessor "experience needed".  The thing is, theses phrases are a signal for something even more problematic: that the employer does not have a set training program in place for these new employees.  And furthermore, the employer would like the save the time and money necessary for that set training program by simply applying a "sink or swim" model to your employment experience with them. 

No matter how "experienced" you are, every company does things differently.  So the "self-starter" beware; no matter how driven you are, you can't do a job you don't know how to do.  And as young workers are accustomed to direction, teamwork, and being rewarded for following a formula for success (with their own twist, of course), being placed in a position where the rules are fuzzy, and the direction uncertain is a very problematic position. No matter how much "experience" you have (life or otherwise) being asked questions you don't know the answer to, at work in a high pressure position will never be fun. 

"Entry level" often means repetitive or even menial. It involves things like stocked printers and note taking, with the prospect of sitting in on a conference call in silence.   Be sure that there is a clear path for career growth, because you don't want to wake up three years from now, and still have the same responsibility, requirements, and job.

People/service oriented is a tricky one. It most often signifies sales. These can be wonderful job opportunities, but only if they suit your personality. If they do not, often part of your compensation is connected to your ability to make sales, and this can be very problematic. 

However, if "people/service oriented" doesn't mean sales, it can mean you will be part of a company's support staff positions. This is another career option where you must know what you want, and the potential for growth.  Also, in certain industries, these are very challenging positions. For example, in law, a legal assistant position pays very well, but has a steep learning curve. They can't teach you everything; it depends strongly on the needs of the fee earners you work for.  One lawyer might expect you to understand complicated legal software programs, and maintain busy aspects of their professional schedule.  Meeting an attorney like this early in your career might derail it (from personal experience). 

Finally, every job description highlights the good. There are, however, bad parts to every job. What you want to find out is just how bad these are, and how much of your workload they will entail.  This can be achieved by asking two questions: what are the additional job responsibilities of this position? (and) how much of this position will entail this or that particular job function?  If they don't list a function that is 50% of the time you will spend doing your job, or they can't tell you, this is a bad sign.   

Interviewing is like dating: companies put their best face forward, and hide all the flaws of a particular position.  But if you, like I, have had relationships and jobs where the hidden aspects outweighed the positive and made you regret the decision, you will want to take a closer look and read between the lines. Thankfully nothing lasts forever, but going into a situation prepared can make all the difference.