How to produce an effective job title

The Job Title

This is without a doubt the most important feature in your job advert. It is the first thing candidates see when conduct a job search and whether they choose to view your advert or not is all dependent on how effective and eye catching your title is.

The key to a successful job title that will really attract relevant candidates and maximise applications is to remain fact based, whilst also making it creative and catchy.

When creating your title, you can enter up to a maximum of 80 characters into the text field, so this is your opportunity to make use of the space allowed to sell the position and grab the candidates’ attention. Remember, job seekers are scanning a long list of jobs looking for a vacancy relevant to them- so make sure yours stands out from the rest!

Here are some points that you could include in your title:

Job type – part-time, temporary or a summer vacancy
Specific location – Town or region
Company name
Any qualifications or skills that are necessary

To attract your target audience you need to think about the key words to include in your job title in order to make it relevant to certain candidates. Have a think about the job role you are advertising and the words you think candidates will use to search for it, try to put yourself in their shoes.

The majority of candidates that search for jobs using our site use the ‘job search tab’, where they type in specific key words to narrow down their search. Therefore, to make sure your advert is included in the search results you should use common, industry-standard keywords that will be recognizable to candidates. For example, use ‘receptionist’ rather than ‘front-desk clerk’ to define the job position.

Try to be creative in writing your job title, and appeal to your target audience by making it more relevant to them, such as ‘calling all students…’ or ‘great student opportunity…’

You could also make it sound more enticing by including an incentive to make the candidates want to find out more. For example, ‘part-time retail assistant needed in boutique – great location in central London’, this title includes key facts plus a catchy incentive.

Good Examples:

Good example of a job title 1

Good example of a job title 2

We have found evidence that simply changing the job title to make it sound more exciting and informative significantly improves application rates.

One particular job advert was struggling to generate applications from candidates. By adjusting the previous job title of ‘Regional manager’ to ‘Great part time job – regional manager for English Language School’ the number of job applications the vacancy received considerably increased.

Summary

– Use language that candidates understand
– You have up to 80 characters – use them!
– Sell the vacancy
– Give information that entices candidates to find out more
– Be honest but creative with the title

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