How To Write A Job Profile
Whether you’re managing a government department or running a small business, knowing how to write a job profile is essential to attract the right candidates to your organisation.
Also known as a job description or position description, a well-written job profile does more than just list responsibilities; it sells the role and your workplace to prospective employees. It paints a clear picture of what you’re looking for and what makes your organisation a great place to work.
Understanding the key points to include in your job profile is crucial to maximising its effectiveness and streamlining your hiring process. When you get this right, your job profile becomes a powerful tool that attracts the right candidates quickly and clearly.
Overview
The key components of a well-written job profile
To attract top talent and find the right person to fill your vacancy, make sure you include these essential components as you write your job profile. Using a job description template can often make the process a little smoother.
Job title
The first thing a job seeker will see while perusing employment listings online is the job title, so keep it simple, concise and clear.
You might decide to apply fun titles for jobs within your business, but it’s always best to keep to industry-standard titles when posting on external job websites.
Job summary
Once the applicant has scoured the job title, they will likely want to know what the position entails.
Think of the job summary as your elevator pitch – a brief, punchy snapshot of the role that grabs attention and quickly explains why it matters. A strong summary tells the prospective applicant how and where the role fits into the larger team. Insights from employee surveys can effectively help you describe how the position contributes to organisational culture and outcomes.
Position responsibilities and duties
Once you’ve given the job seeker a quick snapshot of the role, it’s time to get into the heart of the matter – outlining the key duties and responsibilities of the position. Whether you’re a small business owner or team leader in a corporate organisation, here are some handy tips to guide you as you write your job profile:
List 6-10 key responsibilities the successful candidate will perform. These might be daily, weekly or monthly tasks that contribute to your team’s success.
Avoid vague language; be specific and use active verbs that clearly show what the role does.
Focus on the ‘why’ as well as the ‘what’. Explain why the duties matter and how they help the growth and/or operations of your business.
Getting crystal clear with the responsibilities section of your job profile is a win-win. It helps job seekers make an informed decision about whether this role is the right fit. For the business or department advertising the vacancy, it helps to filter out candidates who aren’t the right match.
Essential skills and qualifications
This part of the job profile is essential for detailing the mandatory skills and training required for the role. Whether it’s a university degree, a TAFE certificate, a specific skillset or a minimum experience level, the essential skills and qualifications section outlines what the candidate needs in order to succeed.
In this section, it’s important to be realistic, but also to be clear and firm. For example, if you’re seeking a web developer, don’t just say they must be “familiar with many programming languages”. State the languages you want them to be familiar with.
It’s just as important not to overplay the essential requirements. Being realistic helps avoid scaring off great candidates – especially those from groups that are often underrepresented. You want this section to draw in the best talent from every background.
Preferred qualifications
In addition to the must-have qualifications, you might also include some preferred qualifications in your job profile. These don’t necessarily fall under the non-negotiable, essential category, but would certainly be beneficial for the candidate to have and would add value to the team. Examples of these preferred qualifications might include:
Experience leading a small project team
Familiarity with the Australian financial market
Proficiency in a second language
As you get comfortable writing job descriptions, mastering the art of distinguishing between essential and preferred skills and qualifications becomes a key skill – and a smart best practice to help you attract the right candidates. Professional development days can also add to your employees’ skillset, so if they don’t possess those “nice-to–have” skills in the early application stages, they can certainly develop them later.
Work environment
The work environment and workplace culture can be a key factor in whether a job seeker applies for a role in your organisation. Therefore, it’s important to describe where the successful candidate will be carrying out their duties. Is it on-site, a remote position, or is it a hybrid role? Clearly stating this in your job profile will help you attract the right applicants for the position.
Equally as important is touching on the culture of the workplace and the type of team that the new employee will be joining. This adds a valuable human element to the job profile, and also helps both the candidate and the organisation determine whether they are the right fit for the role.
Salary and benefits
Job seekers really value transparency. Being upfront about salary or salary ranges in your job description is a must – this clarity helps set expectations and shows respect for candidates right from the start.
In addition to the salary, listing the key benefits of the position can also be a major selling point for the position. These might include flexible work arrangements, opportunities for professional training and development, policies that align with the Right To Disconnect Legislation, and additional annual leave.
Common mistakes to avoid when writing a job profile
As you draft and get ready to share your job description, make sure you avoid these common mistakes:
Using vague language: Be clear and concise about the required skills and duties.
An extensive list of requirements: Be clear about what you need, but don’t overload your job profile with too many must-haves. Aiming for around six key requirements helps attract top candidates without scaring them off.
The use of internal jargon: Try not to use acronyms or terms specific to the company that will be unfamiliar to external applicants.
Focusing on tasks only: Highlighting the impact of the role on the business or department, and not just listing the daily duties, will help the candidate understand and appreciate their purpose.
In the end, you’ll attract the best potential talent with a strong and well-written job profile that is clear, engaging and avoids these common mistakes.
Reviewing and revising the job description
Before you make your job profile live, it’s important to carefully review and refine it. This will guarantee that it clearly communicates the value and purpose of the position while avoiding unwanted barriers for excellent applicants.
An effective strategy is to have a member of your team who holds a similar position read over the position description. Ask them whether the profile accurately highlights the position’s duties and responsibilities, if the required skills realistically reflect the listed salary range, and if the description makes any assumptions about the ideal candidate that are irrelevant to the role.
Attract the right candidates with The Woohoo Company’s expertise
As you learn how to write a job description, you’ll discover that making it clear, concise and compelling will help you to attract the best possible candidates.
Once you’ve found your new employee, The Woohoo Company can help you to get the most out of your team. We work with everyone from large corporations to individuals, offering a full spectrum of workshops, personalised coaching and HR services. Think of us as your go-to team – not just for posting your job description, but for supporting your people and your growth journey every step of the way. We’re here to help you build a team that thrives and a culture that sticks.
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FAQ
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A job description will often provide more detail about the position than a job profile, which offers a more basic overview of the role. Fundamentally, however, both will outline the duties and essential requirements of the position while also explaining how the role fits within the wider organisation.
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It’s arguably more important to ensure your job profile is concise, clear and compelling rather than upholding a standard word or page limit requirement. However, a common rule of thumb approach is to keep your job description to 1-2 pages, and summarise that to about 200 words for your job profile.
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As you write your job profile, make sure you do two things:
Be realistic about the essential skills and qualifications that the candidate needs to be successful in the role. Don’t go overboard with the requirements; keep your must-haves to about six, and you’ll attract the talent you really want.
Use inclusive language in your job profile, and steer clear of making assumptions about the “right” candidate that may not be pertinent to the position.
By concentrating on the true requirements for success, you can attract suitable candidates and filter out those that may not meet your needs.