Your job description is an all-important part of any freelance job posting – but it doesn’t need to be dry and dull to get the information across.
A job description needs to explain responsibilities and expectations but also inject some personality, attracting the type of candidates you’re looking for.
We’ll run through all the things you should include in your job description and how to pack a punch in selling the vacancy to top-quality contractors!
Essentials to Include in Your Job Description
So, we all know the vital elements of a basic job description, things like:
- Job title
- Location (or remote work opportunity)
- How to apply
- The role and responsibilities
But we’re not here to tell you the obvious – we’re here to help you craft a killer job description that entices fantastic professionals to jump at the chance to work with you.
The first bit we will focus on is the job title.
Yes, it might seem irrelevant, but make no mistake; a skilled freelancer is way more likely to be excited by a project that will look awesome on their portfolio!
Don’t feel pressured to use standard phrases – the position could be a facilitator, an advisor, a representative, a collaborator, or a project lead.
Go a bit wild with your imagination and you’ll instantly stand out from the hundreds of thousands of other job postings that all begin the same way.
Making the Job Description Easy to Digest
Next, if you’re unsure what to write in job description ads, you’re going to want to follow a template, primarily to ensure your candidates can see at a glance whether they’re a good fit for the post.
Most job descriptions follow a path a bit like this:
1. Job title (see above!) and whom they will report to.
Use that space to show the seniority of the role or emphasize any teamwork aspects of the position.
2. Job overview
A short paragraph up to four sentences explaining what the project is, the key deliverables, or how you’d define success!
3. Responsibilities or duties
A concise list of everything you need the candidate to do.
Make it transparent, understandable, and avoid anything vague, such as ‘follow a customer-led approach.’ It needs to be 100% obvious what actual tasks are involved.
4. Qualification requirements
Don’t be reluctant to include any desirables, or nice-to-haves, too. They’re an easy way to narrow down your shortlist if you’re overwhelmed with applications.
Finally, explain how to apply. Even on a freelance platform, it pays to make it crystal clear. If you want applicants to email you, send copies of their portfolio, or post a cover letter, make it apparent in the job description so there’s never any confusion. On Guru, freelancers simply click to send a quote to you directly via the Guru platform.
How to Make Your Job Descriptions More Engaging
Although you don’t need to launch into a manifesto and dive deep into your business values, the overview is a valuable place to engage and drive applicants to want to learn more.
Compare these two examples:
Job Description Example A
The successful applicant will be required to oversee re-branding project ABC covering all aspects of social media marketing, brand guidelines, roll-out to affiliates, and logo design.
In addition, responsibilities include team management, affiliate communications, and distribution of brand assets.
Job Description Example B
Our latest project is a unique opportunity to unleash your creativity in crafting exceptional branding with a market-leading team of award-winning innovators.
That covers everything from reimagining brand logos, creating a comprehensive brand guide, and collaborating with our incredible affiliates to develop a magic recipe.
See what a difference that makes?
It’s colorful, energetic, and rephrases the vacancy as an opportunity to work with a fantastic team.
Summary
Although a job description is usually pretty formulaic and information-based, it forms a key part of your job posting that will make or break the caliber of the freelancers who apply.
Explaining the role clearly, and why it’s a prime opportunity will instantly position your job posting as a desirable vacancy that the best professionals will want. Read more about writing job description best practices.
Guru’s Post a Job form gives you a clear template to post your job description and privately connect with quality candidates within hours.
