How to experience a job advert. Jobseeker Basics XIX

Greg Wyatt • March 2, 2026

This might seem a weird chapter.


Surely you look at a job advert, maybe even read it, then decide to apply or not?


Yet a job advert is more than just what's presented on a job board.


It's a microcosm of everything in recruitment, including everything wrong, and you can learn a lot about what to expect in your job search by the least intentional of words.


And when you do read a job advert, in its entirety, there are only two questions you should ask of it:


  • Am I qualified?
  • Should I be interested?


It's somewhat odd that 99% of job adverts don't actually try and help you answer that.


But maybe that's why employers say job adverts don't work.


And why you don't think they do either.


While you're here, why not check out A Career Breakdown Kit in its entirety?


This series of always free chapters is an advert, after all.


But it was never supposed to be an easy book to read, just accessible and comprehensive.


I expect most readers are over 50, ND, or other marginalised demographics, considering these will likely be the longest out of work in our 'diverse and inclusive' world.


If you're 'in demand' though, you'll probably click apply and wonder what the fuss was about.


44 - How to experience a job advert

 

This chapter is about job adverts, what they are and aren’t, how you might experience them, how they might inform your decisions and your responses.


I say experience rather than read because not all adverts are written or read.


What’s a job advert?


A job advert is the first step in a multichannel commercial approach to filling a vacancy. It’s the inverse of your job search taking a multichannel, through-the-line approach - we go where the candidates are.


It’s the first step because it’s the first thing you experience of that vacancy irrespective of whether it’s a:


  • Listing on a job board
  • A post on social media
  • A DM from a recruiter
  • A phone call from a hiring process
  • A referral
  • Or any other means by which you become aware of a vacancy


Each of these is a marketing or sales channel that may result in a candidate's application.


It’s regrettable employers don’t necessarily see it this way because of the transactional nature of much recruitment process.


They think it’s sticking a job posting up on LinkedIn.


Employers forget that when you experience such an advert you first make the choice to entertain that advert rather than a yes or no to ‘Should I apply?’


Indeed much advertising neglects the psychology of a job move, which principally relates to problem awareness.


How you experience an advert, what may encourage you to progress an enquiry and what you are prepared to put up with in the process relate to your situation and the problems you currently face.


Are you out of work, needing any job to pay the bills?


Are you in work, desperate to escape a toxic culture?


Are you gainfully employed yet wouldn’t mind a bit more flexibility to pick the children up from school?


Are you apparently smashing it, with that missing something you don’t even know about, and the right vacancy might improve your lot?


And everything in between.


The answer to these questions informs your experience of any advert.


Because many employers don’t consider what informs an experience and think people would be lucky to work there, it’s rare that more than the minimum acceptable skill will be applied to an advert.


As discussed in Better use of job boards, the emphasis is on more rather than better. It’s often thought that ‘if we can reach more candidates, we might fill the job.’


Rather than appeal to the right people for the right reasons.


And so we are in a market where an advert attracts hundreds if not thousands of applications, most of whom are wholly unsuitable.


What isn’t a job advert?


A job advert isn’t a fake job, although many of these are listed.


They aren’t Job Descriptions either - the next chapter explains why this distinction is important.


While you may spend much time perusing job boards and talking with fellow job seekers, reading their posts on LinkedIn - I’d expect most employers have little awareness outside of their own sphere of what happens in the job seeker community.


They’ll advertise how they advertise, instruct agencies how they instruct agencies and run their process how they run their process.


I wonder how many great employers use Workday as an ATS, fill their jobs suitably, and have no knowledge of how Workday is viewed by job seekers who have dozens of Workday accounts, one per application?


It’s true terrible employers might do the same.


In one of my job advert consultations I had a detailed conversation with a Talent Acquisition Manager of a local technology consultancy. I can say that they are a jewel in the crown of technology development in the UK, have top 1% compensation, offer career development, and are a fantastic place to work.


I know this because I have spoken to many people who have worked there. All speak highly of them.


Yet the advert we reviewed had a number of red flags:


  • £Competitive salary
  • Generic company first text
  • Confusion around job titles


If you were an ideal candidate who decided not to apply because of these red flags you’d have missed out.


There are two considerations in how an advert might be put together.


The first is whether it is a product of a transactional process or whether the hiring team recognises potential candidates are driven by selfish reasons and seek to understand ‘what’s in it for them.’


(I’ve mentioned WIIFM (What’s in it for me) a few times now - answering that is key to good marketing)


The second is the direction of travel - are you reading a job board advert or have you been contacted proactively about the vacancy?


A transactional process is defined by information transactions with a focus on speed and volume.


It places less emphasis on qualitative measures such as accuracy, specificity, relationships, and empathy.


Instead you can define the process by a series of information transactions and exchanges:


  • Job description
  • Advert
  • Suitable number of relevant applications
  • Suitable number of interviews
  • Offer
  • Starter


The goal is to fill a vacancy.


A non-transactional process recognises the importance of relationships and that to build trust the right information needs to be put forward.


Though the steps are much the same, at each stage the question is asked: ‘Does this give the candidate the right information to make an informed decision?’


Here a candidate is everyone who interacts with the vacancy outside of the hiring end - even a reader who chooses not to apply.


The goal is to create a process that draws the right person forward while leaving everyone with a good experience.


It’s not just about decency - it’s about long-term commercial outcomes.


If you want the right person to thrive over the long term the process has to reflect this goal.


While all the ‘nos’ might be commercial opportunity in future - future candidates, future customers - who knows?


These are the archetypes. In reality, recruitment falls somewhere along this spectrum, often changing at different stages in the process.


Intent matters even if the execution is flawed.


Why does it matter?


Because a healthy rule of thumb is to reciprocate the level of care you experience.


If you come across a transactional process - treat it transactionally. This isn’t inherently bad - it’s just the way of the process.


The employers may still be good to work for.


When and whether to apply


Irrespective of how a role is recruited, there will be non-negotiable essential criteria that inform whether or not you are suitable.


If you can establish these criteria you can confirm whether to apply.


The problem is these criteria aren’t always stated.


Sometimes they are implicit to the context - if the role is employed by a rapidly growing scale-up, it’s likely they’ll need someone with that experience.


Hopefully this context is alluded to in the advert. It will need critical thinking to parse.


Sometimes these aren’t defined at the outset and become mandatory when there are too many candidates in view.


Sometimes these are hidden by Goldilocks or illegal discrimination - not too experienced, not too inexperienced, not too old.


Sometimes the employer can’t divulge essential criteria.


The other problem is that some essential criteria aren’t essential, such as when a company writes unrealistic shopping lists.


Yes, it’s a FUBAR situation given it’s pretty hard to tell whether you’re a suitable candidate or whether you should even apply.


Nonetheless - if you choose to apply your application must show how you can meet any essential criteria you can identify.


If that’s the only thing your application does - it must do this.


In my experience, transactional processes are the hardest to unpick, with adverts going something like:


Here at genericorp we are proud to be recruiting for a <job title> in our market leading innovative environment.


You’ll be doing


<insert job description for job title - one you could probably write yourself>


You’ll need

<long list of essential requirements>


In return you can expect a £competitive salary.


Apply with a full cover letter and updated CV.


Only successful candidates will be contacted.


Familiar?


Whereas the rare non-transactional adverts give more of a narrative about why the right person might think to apply or give you avenues for finding more information.


A note on inbound enquiries.


With automation allowing volume outreach the effort to produce transactional DMs, emails and messages is pretty low.


You might think when you receive such a message that you are already in the running - in many situations you are a transactional prospect.


I’ve even heard some recruiters InMail #OpenToWork profiles only to improve their response rates.


While not all messages are this way these are potential reasons you might not hear back when you reply to a recruiter.


It’s not quite the case with phone calls which have yet to be executed through automation (some platforms promise AI call automation already).


Again, you can separate transactional from non-transactional straightforwardly.


Transactional leads with selling the job.


Non-transactional seeks to explore if you are the right candidate. If the vacancy isn’t right it’s best to find that out as early as possible and save everyone time.


Inbound enquiries are still adverts, in a different medium.


Try not to treat your job search transactionally by default.


Your goal isn’t to apply for hundreds of jobs. Your goal is to start conversations that count.


By prioritising adverts in the right way you’ll improve your odds with high stakes applications. You’ll gain time and energy for other activities, including taking time away from your job search to recharge.



How recruiters work

By Greg Wyatt • August 18, 2026
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After the interview

By Greg Wyatt • August 11, 2026
What follows is Chapter 49 in A Career Breakdown Kit (Summer 2026) . It's like many other chapters in that I've tried to make it stand alone, yet it's deeply connected to the rest of the book. For example, if you accept your job search is equivalent to launching a product to market - where you are the product and your next employer the buyer - then a sensible strategy is also equivalent. You execute an appropriate multichannel sales and marketing plan, where you focus on the steps in your control, with considered action and follow up. An interview process is an ongoing negotiation, with each interview equivalent to a consultative sales meeting. And like any good sales professional, you know that the steps preceding, the steps in-between, and the steps after all have a part to play. In my last three offers these have all been contributing factors: The relationship nurtured by the hiring manager led to their new employee hitting the ground running The private information withheld by the candidate that led to an offer rescinded because she could never have fulfilled the role in the first place The enthusiasm shown by a candidate in post interview communications tipped a decision in their favour Recruitment is risk, filled with bias - that doesn't mean you can't make that work for you. 49 - After the interview In a tough job search, getting to an interview can feel a real achievement. If you’ve been accountable in your applications, only going for roles where you are a strong fit, these are tangible opportunities to secure employment. The interview itself isn’t the be-all and end-all. It’s better to see them as the start of a conversation, one that’s only complete when you either have an acceptable employment contract in your hand, or if it’s an unequivocal no. Continuing this conversation in the right way, and in ways other candidates may not think to, can bring hoped for and unexpected gains. A few weeks back I filled a vacancy which had a strong shortlist. The final three were all employable, and the company would have taken all three had they been able to. The second choice candidate was disappointed and took it well, responding professionally. I worked hard to give all three a good experience with regular updates and constructive feedback. I too was genuinely disappointed for the ‘unsuccessful’ candidates. Two weeks after accepting the offer and returning the signed contract, the first-choice candidate withdrew. She’d received a significantly improved offer having been headhunted. Within two hours of passing the news on to the hiring team, the 2nd choice candidate was offered the role and accepted. How she had responded to her initial disappointment was a key element in this offer being put forward. The same was true of her experience with us in her decision to accept the offer. In many ways an interview is like a sales meeting. One party pitches their offering which might be customised against the questions asked. The other party makes a decision on whether and how to proceed. In an interview both the candidate and employer act as both seller and buyer. As a job seeker you get the final say on whether you say yes, no or something in between. Your decision is influenced by factors you may not divulge to the employer, such as an unexpected intervention (illness, accident, family), personal circumstances or other offers that may come up. It’s the same for the employer. They may have a hierarchy of decision-making, changes in the business and changes outside of the business - many things that can influence an interview decision or time frame, different from what was initially agreed. In sales we know that a deal isn’t agreed upon until the invoice is paid. Even if there is an initial ‘yes’ in a meeting we follow up suitably. Follow-up email to confirm details of the conversation and next steps. Thank you for your time Follow up at the appropriate time to check progress If it’s ‘no right now’, follow up over time to build a relationship until they are ready to buy If it’s ‘no answer’, find appropriate reasons to follow up, ending in a breakup email What this actually looks relates to what their sales (hiring) process is, playing to their rules and breaking those same rules in an appropriate way. In the UK, 61% of private sector employers are SMEs, whereas the vast majority of money is in the corporate space. The differentiator in recruitment is that the more corporate you get, the more transactional and matrix-led recruitment often becomes. Some of the rules of the game will be different. This illustrates how and why things are different depending on the context. Public sector, charities, geography, bias, habit, strategy - these all affect the rules of what appear similar processes from the outside. It’s important not to be cynical or come across as coercive. Respect the process and any rules you learn about. Thank you notes Most of the employers I partner with are interested in candidate feedback and interest post-interview - to help them reach their decision for the right reason. Were you applying directly, their interest in your view would be the same. A naturally written thank you note sent appropriately should not work against you. It might work for you and it’s a situation where someone’s bias can be a benefit. ‘Dear Greg, I wanted to thank you for your time today and the opportunity to interview at ABC Corp. It was a pleasure to meet you and Gary and helpful to understand more about your role and environment. I remain keen and would be delighted to return for the next stage. You mentioned you’ll make a decision by the end of next week and I look forward to hearing from you. Do let me know if I can help with anything - my number is …. Kind regards,’ It’s an opportunity to build on or mitigate inconclusive points in an interview if there’s an example you neglected to share or if you didn’t convey information in the right way. Maybe they let slip they’d be concerned if the role would keep your interest in the long term - why not own this? ‘During the interview you asked if I could see myself in this role long-term. It’s a role I’d enjoy - taking on a hands-on role I can get stuck into is an exciting challenge, while my experience in xxx would be beneficial for yyy.’ Keep it more succinct than my email though. Write it in your own words in a similar tone to how you came across in the interview. Will it make a difference? Only marginally, in some situations. Is it worth doing as a natural way to continue the conversation? I think so. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get a reply - they may have a policy to follow. And to that coercive point above don’t say ‘I’m the best candidate. You’d be a fool to miss out,’ or something more subtle that might suggest the same. Additional interviews In an ideal world you’d get a full view of the interview process before the interview. Unfortunately some employers enjoy playing a game of interview chicken, revealing more and more interview stages as you go through them. Most are somewhere in between. Try to establish the full process as early as possible in case there is anything that is non-negotiable for you. For example, I know some people categorically do not want to do technical tests or ‘business plan’ style presentations, having had their fingers burnt in the past. It’s your choice what might be a non-negotiable - for any reasonable employer these are typically used as a means for fair assessment. Treat any interview in the same way as the first interview: prepare as fully as possible and assume nothing. Unless you know their hierarchy of decision-making, that new person you meet at fourth stage for an informal chat might well be the person with the final say. Even a social get-together after an offer is put forward might be seen as an assessment. Appropriate follow-ups It’s a careful balance. You want to show you are interested, not desperate. You need an answer, not to be inappropriately intrusive - even if that’s not your intent perception holds weight. Following up in the right way is a good tactic. If you can gain an understanding of their time frames or process work to that. Anything and everything can happen behind the scenes, including unexpected absences. Things can slip in a way employers may not see as notable. A few work days after you were expecting to hear, drop them a polite line. ‘Hi Greg, I wondered if you had any news on how you want to proceed with this role. Is there any update you can share? Kind regards,’ You can play a bit of keeping up with the Joneses if it’s true - ‘I remain interested - I do have two interviews this week with other employers. Would you like me to keep you updated?’ Sometimes no news is no news and you might need to be patient. Eventually you may come to a point where you need a decision from them - such as if your 2nd choice company gives you a job offer. A breakup email can be a good thing. Even if this doesn’t prompt an update or decision from them, you give yourself agency to walk away with no ‘what ifs?’ And if they do come back later, you can make a separate decision on whether to revisit them. One such email might be: ‘Hi Greg, I enjoyed our interview on May 21st. You mentioned you’d reach a decision the following week. Can I assume you have moved forward with another candidate? I’ll draw a line through my application for now and will be happy to pick up our conversations at a later date, if appropriate. Kind regards,’ Written appropriately, there are three outcomes: You get a reply confirming they have appointed You get no reply and can move on You get a reply with more information That last point may be ‘no news’ or something actionable. Sometimes it might even prompt good news. Whatever the outcome, you can move forward. Keeping in touch long-term Sometimes a no might be a ‘no for now’, especially when you are later on in the process, such as being pipped to the post at final interview. If yours is a business as usual role where there are a number of employees fulfilling similar duties in the same company, you may well be suitable for other roles that come up in future. How can you keep in touch appropriately so that you help their decision making when another vacancy comes up? Find reasons to occasionally keep in touch (maybe once every couple of months). If they are active on LinkedIn you could follow their content and add constructive comments. It may come to nothing but it may give you early sight of a new vacancy. If you see another vacancy advertised check it out. Drop them a line directly rather than just apply given you are continuing a conversation rather than coming in cold. And if they reply to say ‘don’t bother’, at least you know.