Optimizing Your Job Description

Last updated: 10-1-2026

Optimizing Your Job Description

In the past few years, many employers have followed the ‘more is better’ concept when it comes to job descriptions. This is partly because today’s postings are not limited by character counts in a newspaper ad; there is no real limit to what you post online.

However, a job seeker typically spends fewer than 30 seconds reviewing a job posting. Consider this as you craft your next job description.

In short: You have less than 30 seconds to make your case, so lead with a short, well-formatted pitch instead of a long list of duties — the format does as much work as the content.

Focus on Quality

To make your job posting stand out and capture the attention of quality applicants, keep it concise but compelling enough to apply.

Depending on the position, 400 to 800 words should be adequate. Include the fundamental pieces of a job posting but take a more minimalist approach. Create a short and punchy overview paragraph and move right to the responsibilities and requirements.

Stick to minimum qualifications and highlight the most important skills. Try to balance what you are looking for and what applicants are searching for. Consider keywords for SEO, industry specific terms, and avoid too many clichés (strong communication skills, team player, etc).

Aesthetic Components

• Use bullets and headers to break up longer blocks of text.
• Don’t forget about imagery and graphics:
  • Logos, company photos, and graphics can make a job posting stand out.
• Organization and a neat format will not be overlooked!

Recruitment videos can be a great resource. The average job seeker will pay more attention – about a minute – to a branded job posting, and more time looking at a job posting that includes a recruitment video.

Close your job posting with clearly communicated application instructions and you will be on your way to making your next hire!

Want the full story? Download our free ebook here: How to Build a Talent Magnet

Taylor Wilson is a Dedicated Account Manager at CareerPlug. 

Make the job posting easy to find and easy to act on

These days, it takes a little more thought and effort to write a job description that stands out in an oversaturated job market. Job seekers have choices. Your job posting is the first impression that they’ll use as the basis for their decision to apply or not.

Gone are the days when employers could simply re-post the same old list of responsibilities and qualifications from 10 years ago. When we say employers should now aim to write an “effective job posting,” we’re making a distinction that it’s a step above a standard, basic job posting.

With a basic job posting, you can expect to get applicants, but you may be missing out on the applicants who are more discerning about where they apply – and often, these are the highest-quality candidates.

An effective job posting, on the other hand, is one that is attractive to job seekers and quickly drives them to apply to it.

The specifics around how many applicants an effective job posting brings in varies depending on your industry. For example, in our annual Recruiting Metrics Report, we found that in the automotive industry, the average job gets around 34 applicants. A typical job posting in the cleaning services industry gets almost double that, around 66 applicants per job.

To help determine if a job posting is effective or not for your industry, it can be helpful to look at industry benchmarks and your own averages. Plus, we like to remind employers that when it comes to applicant flow, quality is more important than quantity, and a big benefit of effective job descriptions is that they can help you bring in more quality candidates.

Let’s take a closer look at how this works and some of the other benefits of writing strong job postings.

Frequently asked questions about job description optimization

How long should a job description be?

Depending on the position, 400 to 800 words should be adequate. Include the fundamental pieces of a job posting but take a more minimalist approach. Create a short and punchy overview paragraph and move right to the responsibilities and requirements.

Stick to minimum qualifications and highlight the most important skills. Try to balance what you are looking for and what applicants are searching for. Consider keywords for SEO, industry specific terms, and avoid too many clichés (strong communication skills, team player, etc).

What makes a job posting look more attractive to job seekers?

• Use bullets and headers to break up longer blocks of text.
• Don’t forget about imagery and graphics: Logos, company photos, and graphics can make a job posting stand out.
• Organization and a neat format will not be overlooked!

Recruitment videos can be a great resource. The average job seeker will pay more attention – about a minute – to a branded job posting, and more time looking at a job posting that includes a recruitment video.