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CharityVillage Help > Advertiser Help > Career Centre > General Career Centre Advertising Questions

Related Questions

· Who can advertise in the Career Centre?

· What kind of ads are acceptable?

· How effective is this service?

· Who else advertises here?

· Are postings organized by location or sector?

· Do you post Requests for Proposals (RFPs)?

How can I write a more effective job ad?

A recruitment ad is about attracting the right candidates, isn't it?
We want your ad at CharityVillage.com® to be effective, so here are some tips to help you get the most from your advertising investment.

Before you start composing your ad:

Re-visit the Major Responsibilities for this position.
With a new team member on the way, perhaps this is a good time to re-think what you really want from the person in this role. Let's ensure that the performance expectations will be clear on both sides by spelling out key results that can be measured.

Ensure that your ad attracts the RIGHT candidates

We've all spent way too much time wading through stacks of résumés from unsuitable candidates who were wasting our time and theirs. Here are some ways to attract the people you want, while helping others screen themselves out of the competition.

Find the excitement
The official-speak of many ads makes the work sound boring, while most positions have elements of fun, social value, personal growth, even excitement, when they are occupied by the right person. What are the possibilities for this job in the right hands? How could the perfect candidate make a difference? Beware misleading promises, though.

It's an ad, not an interview
An ad is for finding candidates for the next stages in the process --- screening and selection. So an ad isn't a place to display the entire job description, or a long treatise describing every program undertaken by your organization, or the biographies of your celebrity board members. Keep it concise --- the organization, the responsibilities, the qualifications, the salary.

Include a wage or salary range
Without that information, candidates may not know whether you're looking for a seasoned pro, someone less experienced, or an entry level junior. Most candidates will self-select on the basis of the information provided, but the rule is "When in doubt, send the résumé out."

Be kind to our search engine
Many job-seekers enter keywords in our search engine to find positions likely to be a fit for them. Make your ad pop up more often in these searches by ensuring that the right descriptive words are included in the text of your ad. Ask yourself which keywords the perfect candidate is likely to search for.

Choose the contact method that's best for you
There are plenty of ways for candidates to respond to your ad, but all have their advantages and disadvantages:

Postal Service: The résumés arrive nice and crisp, and everyone can use it, but it takes a while.

Fax: Instant results, but it's a bit inconvenient for some candidates, and there's a chance résumés can go astray if the fax machine isn't checked regularly by someone reliable (or it's in another part of the building).

e-Mail: Instant replies, but watch out for résumé attachments in formats you can't handle, and some containing macro-viruses that will ruin your day. If using this, specify acceptable formats, and get a good virus-checker. (Note: People will send their résumés by postal service or courier anyway, just to be sure.)

Online Forms and Screening Tools: Some are great, but ensure the technology is working before you post your ad to avoid embarrassment and lost candidates. Still nice to allow candidates to paste their résumé into the form.

So it's your choice., but it's always a good idea to include your postal address in addition to any other methods specified. Candidates appreciate a fail-safe alternative in case the technology goes poof.

Would you apply?
Review your ad through the eyes of a candidate. Would it get you excited? There are plenty of people, just not enough great people, so you're competing with every other advertiser for the cream of the crop. Make it count!

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