A job advert is an announcement of a job vacancy to attract suitable candidates to fill a job role. A good job advert attracts attention, looks professional, is clear and brief and gives a candidate the right amount of detail to allow them to take the next steps.

A job analysis is a document that records the findings from an investigation into the tasks that need to be completed by a new recruit and details of skills and attributes that are needed from the person filling that role. A good job analysis will include the tasks that will be involved in a job, the skills, knowledge and personal attributes required by the person filling that role, who they will be working with and reporting to and what the working conditions will be like. If this process is done well, it should draw out the specific needs from the role and inform the job description and person specification to ensure that the person recruited best fits the needs of the organisation and the department.

A job description lists the roles and responsibilities of a job. A good job description gives applicants a clear picture of what the role involves. This means that it must be as detailed as possible to allow people to decide whether they feel this is a role suitable for them, yet it must be concise enough that it is not open to misinterpretation. Less effective job descriptions may include jargon, are too lengthy or are not open to necessary flexibility.

A person specification lists the skills, knowledge, experiences and attributes of a person that would be best suited to a job role. A good person specification clearly summarises the skills, experience and attributes of the best fit person for a job role. Applicants can check themselves against this and can decide whether to spend time applying for the role or not and can ensure they are communicating the relevant areas of their own experiences in their application. Recruiters can use a person specification as a checklist to decide on the right candidate to appoint. This can save time and reduce inappropriate applications.

An application form is a document that a person completes when applying for a job. The organisation can design it to include information they feel is important to know about an applicant. A good application form is easy to complete and clear to an applicant what is required from each field. It will include all fields necessary for an applicant to communicate their skills, knowledge and experience related to the person specification and allows recruiters to make fast decisions for the early rounds of shortlisting based on easy comparison of forms.

A CV is a written overview of an applicant’s skills, education and experience. A good CV will look professional, have good visual appeal, be easy to read and extract key information and be tailored to a specific job role.

A good letter of Application will be professional by using a formal letter structure. It will have visual appeal by using a clear layout and font and enhance the information provided in the application from or CV by conveying enthusiasm for the job role. Common advice includes having fit for purpose paragraphs such as introduction and job role applying for, reasons you are suitable for the job and what you can do for the company.

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