What Job Description:
For more senior posts, or those requiring specific technical or professional qualifications or experience, additional guidance on the type and extent of information required may be provided by a job description accompanying the application from. As its name implies, such a document describes the job for which a vacancy exists, and gives more information about it than may, perhaps, have been contained in the advertisement or notice to which response has been made. A job description may also help possible applicants to decide:
(a) whether the job concerned is one in which he or she is really interested, and (b) if he or she is suitably qualified to apply for the job. A job description usually states the purpose of the job and its relations with other jobs and people, and lists the physical, social and economic features involved. The contents and order in which they are listed may vary, but a typical job description contains:
(a) the current job title, the section/department in which the holder will work, details of the work group or groups with whom the post holder will be involved.
(b) A usually brief statement of the purpose of the job – its objectives, for example: ‘to ensure the rapid and efficient despatch of all the company’s mail’ (for the supervisor of a mailing/despatch section).
(c) A list of all the tasks and duties involved in the whole job.
(d) Details of the responsibilities of the postholder, that is, for what and for whom he or she will be responsible.
(e) information on the relationships involved in the job with people both inside and outside the organisation, and the job title of the person to whom the postholder will be responsible.
(f) Facts about the environment in which the postholder will work, i.e. private office or open plan office, or details of any dirty, noisy or dangerous conditions under which work will be performed.
(g) Details of such matters as hours of work, overtime, unsociable hours, holidays, sick leave, etc.
(h) Full details of salary or wage rates, overtime rates, bonuses, commission, and fringe benefits, such as car or transport allowance, pension scheme, sickness benefits, and any others.
A job description may also include information about prospects for promotion, training necessary and available, and other pertinent information. (In some cases information will also be provided about the organisation with which the vacancy exists and, in particular if the vacancy is in a different town, or even country, information about the locality in which the successful applicant will work may be provided).