Is That Job Description Bogus? 3 Ways to Find Out

A job description can tell you a lot about an organization. A detailed one allows you to get an inside peek at the organization, gives you information about the position, and allows you to figure out if your skills and accomplishments are a match. A bogus job description? That’s another story entirely.

It’s sad to say, but many job descriptions do not match the position. In fact, 43 percent of workers found out during the interview that the job description did not match what was written in the job ad. Not only is this a huge waste of time, it can take you away from other, more legitimate job opportunities.

How can you tell if a job description is bogus? Here are some tips:

Look for warning signs

When you’re searching for a new job, you may be looking at the world with rose-colored glasses. It may be hard for you to see the warning signs associated with a poor job description. Among others, here’s what a good job description typically has:

• Position overview
• Company history
• Perks or benefits
• Salary details
• Application steps
• Contact information
• External links

While not every job description will have all of the above elements, a good one will be thorough enough to ensure you don’t have a million questions. Job descriptions that skirt around what you’d be doing or include a too-good-to-be true salary package for an entry-level employee should typically raise some red flags.

Compare the job description to your research

It’s always important to do your research in the job search process. In doing so, you will be able to tell which companies are telling the truth and which ones you need to send packing.

For example, let’s say your research found that an organization was on the smaller side, with about 20 employees. However, a correlating job description notes that the company has worldwide offices with hundreds of employees across the globe. In this instance, the research does not match the job description, and therefore shows a disconnect.

While you should always give an organization the benefit of the doubt, such glaring differences may show that the company is either lying about its processes, or making itself into something it’s not. Either way, the job description does a poor story of painting an accurate picture, which should factor into your decision-making process.

Check out verification sources

On top of looking for warning signs and doing ample research, you should also check out some verification sources. For example, sites like Glassdoor or PayScale allow you to read reviews and see what other people are saying about the organization or the job.

In addition, alternative resources allow you to gain in-depth information about contacts and the companies that are posting jobs. Again, while you should always be a bit skeptical about what people are posting online; don’t ignore an overwhelming consensus.

While it can be hard to tell if a job description is legitimate or not, use these tips as a guide to distinguish between a bogus ad and one that can lead you to your dream career.

What do you think? Have you encountered a bogus job description before? How did you figure out it wasn’t real?

Image courtesy of  Alan Levine; Flickr