Ishmael's Corner ~ Storytelling Techniques For Business Communications

Job Descriptions Get No Respect (except this one)

Rodney Dangerfield photo with word bubble

Why don’t companies care about job descriptions?

It makes no sense.

Every company claims “people are our most valuable asset.”

Every company is fighting competitors for talent.

Every company recognizes that first impressions count.

Yet, most companies churn out job descriptions that sound like they came from the same HR 101 handbook. The end result is undifferentiated copy that reads like an IRS manual.

I’ve pointed out a few exceptions to the rule like the Jack Dorsey startup, Medium. Its job descriptions are fun, empathetic, and yes, tell a story like this one for a test automation engineer.The conversational language alone lifts the narrative. You could look for days and not find another job description for an engineer that includes the word, “love.”

It’s ironic that many PR companies with all their attention to content also produce job descriptions that could charitably be called dull.

Like Medium, we’re an exception to the rule. Our China team recently crafted a job description that makes the case that our role isn’t the “same old, same old.”

Account Executive/Senior Account Executive/Account Manager

Every global PR company talks about the importance of China, but how many of these same PR companies “walk the talk”?

We conducted a seminar “Cracking the China PR Code” in the U.S. last November. We’re speaking on PR in China at the PR Week 360 conference in London. Our CEO just spent three weeks in China, which included a presentation at Peking University and CIPRA as well as internal training sessions on storytelling in business communications and working with U.S. startups.

In short, we do walk the talk, which creates unique opportunities in our Beijing and Shanghai offices.

With this in mind, we’re looking for PR professionals with two to six years of experience who find satisfaction in problem-solving for clients, not just checking the box after completing a task. That’s right. We value critical thinking and creativity. Furthermore, we invest in training sessions that include sending China staff members to our Silicon Valley office to advance their skills. If this appeals to you, send your resume to Lydia Lau at llau@hoffman.com as soon as possible. (Did we mention we’re growing?)

Again, conversational language, not the typical stiff-as-plywood copy, carries the job description.

By the way, if you know any PR folks in China looking for greener pastures, by all means point them in our direction.

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