***King hiring potato peeler at Buckingham Palace***
by Jackie Barrie
That was the headline all over the media last week (applications closed yesterday).
But it wasn't the whole truth.
The vacancy was for a kitchen porter to do cleaning and dishwashing as well as basic vegetable prep.
This article includes a screenshot of the ad:
https://lnkd.in/eT-24hsN
I was interested to see what other opportunities there are to work at the Palace, and how they are promoted. Today, applications are open for a Retail Manager and a Senior Management Accountant.
I noticed all the ads start with a headline that sums up the role (and they all follow a similar format):
- Kitchen porter: "It's the satisfaction of helping deliver an impressive service"
- Retail Manager: "It's inspiring the team to deliver an exceptional customer experience"
- Senior Management Accountant: "It's forecasting the figures whilst surrounded by a priceless past"
We're always banging on about the importance of the headline (or subject line for emails and InMails). It needs to grab attention and sell the benefits. Someone has certainly put some thought into the examples above.
Admittedly, an employer such as the royal household doesn't need to work quite as hard in order to attract applicants. People are probably banging on the gates to work there. That said, you'd hope the royal household have a high standard of job ads*.
Happily, they do, for the most part. Here are some examples:
They use lots of you-based language, although it tends towards being demanding rather than supportive: "You’ll be able to convey complex information and advise at all levels, building strong working relationships within your team and around the organisation."
They use specifics not just generalities: "Whether you're running through opening checks ahead of a busy day, or celebrating the success of exceeding set budgets, you'll be the driving force behind the continuous improvement of our London Retail business." This is a good thing.
They turn features into benefits: "Complimentary lunch on-site to keep you fuelled throughout the day." This is a good thing too.
On the subject of benefits (the legal ones, not the WIIFM ones), the Palace job ads have something else in common. They use the phrase "We offer" rather than "You'll get" – the latter is what we recommend. Although, by the time readers get towards the bottom of the ad, you can safely assume they're a little bit interested in the job and your writing style becomes less important.
Congratulations, your Maj.
*Royal Standard, geddit?
This advice is brought to you by Copywriting for Recruiters. To discover how to write effective job ads, please see https://lnkd.in/e-jj5Bt
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