When posting a job on LinkedIn, it’s important to format the job description in a way that will attract qualified candidates. The job description is often the first interaction job seekers will have with your company, so you want it to make a good impression. Follow these tips for formatting your LinkedIn job descriptions effectively.
Use Clear, Scannable Sections
On LinkedIn, people are often quickly skimming through multiple job posts. Make your description easy to scan by dividing it into clear sections with descriptive headers like “Job Summary,” “Responsibilities,” and “Requirements.” Use bullet points or numbered lists to break up dense paragraphs. White space between sections also helps improve scannability.
Highlight the Job Title
Format the job title in a larger, bold font at the top of the description. This allows job seekers to immediately know the position you are hiring for. Styling the job title prominently establishes what the rest of the text refers to.
Focus on Relevant Keywords
Include keywords in your description that job seekers would likely search for. For example, “social media manager,” “accountant,” “registered nurse.” This helps your post appear in more relevant searches. But don’t just stuff keywords-write them into well-written descriptions of job duties and requirements.
Emphasize Company Culture
Give job seekers a sense of your company culture by highlighting your values, mission, and workplace environment. Describing your culture helps attract candidates who will be a good fit. You can create a dedicated “Culture” section or weave these details in throughout the description.
Explain Job Duties
The responsibilities and duties section is often the meatiest part of a job description. Provide a detailed overview of what an average day or week looks like in this role. Use active language like “compile reports,” “make sales calls,” “oversee social media strategy.” This helps paint a clear picture for job seekers.
List Minimum Qualifications
Be clear about must-have qualifications like years of experience, specific skills, education level, certificates, knowledge of software, etc. These details help candidates self-screen before applying. List qualifications in neat bullet points for easy scanning.
Highlight Preferred Qualifications
In addition to minimum requirements, call out preferred qualifications that would make a candidate more competitive, like bonus years of experience, supplementary certifications, specialized knowledge areas, etc. This further helps set applicant expectations.
Focus on Soft Skills
Include any important soft skills or personality traits ideal for the role, like “strong verbal communicator,” “comfortable multitasking,” “creative problem-solver.” Describing ideal soft skills gives candidates insight into your workplace culture.
Explain Remote Work Options
Be upfront about your remote work policies, like whether the role is fully remote, hybrid, or on-site. Many job seekers now prioritize remote flexibility. Clearly explaining remote options attracts more relevant applicants.
Sell the Perks
Briefly highlight standout perks and benefits that showcase why your company is an attractive place to work, like competitive pay, health insurance, retirement plans, generous time off, professional development stipends, etc.
Close with a Call to Action
End your description with a short call to action encouraging qualified candidates to apply, like “Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter through our online application portal.” This provides clear next steps.
Use Short, Scannable Sentences
Write short, crisp sentences that get straight to the point. LinkedIn members are more likely to read concise sentences over long, dense blocks of text. Avoid complex sentence structures when possible.
Limit Jargon and Corporate Speak
Avoid overusing industry jargon and vague corporate speak like “synergy,” “moving the needle,” “strategic initiatives.” Keep language clear and accessible to reach a wider talent pool.
Mirror Your Company’s Tone
Match the tone and style of your other branding materials. For example, if your company uses a conversational, friendly tone on social media, adopt that in your job descriptions as well. Consistent tone helps reinforce your brand.
Proofread Thoroughly
Carefully proofread descriptions to fix any typos or grammatical errors that could portray your company as careless or unprofessional. Read through the text several times or have a second pair of eyes look it over.
Use Visual Dividers
Add visual dividers like lines, icons, or graphics between sections to further break up blocks of text. This improves scannability and organizes information clearly for readers.
Position Most Important Info First
Front-load descriptions with the information job seekers care about most, like job duties, requirements, salary range, etc. Place less critical details like company background further down. Hook readers early with key details.
Keep Descriptions Succinct
Avoid excessive wordiness. Job seekers often skim, so be selective about only including details that paint a clear picture of the role. Lengthy descriptions can dilute your message.
Use Numbered Lists for Steps
When outlining multi-step processes or listing sequential job duties, use numbered lists to present information clearly. For example, “1. Compile weekly analytics reports. 2. Analyze data and identify trends…”. This improves flow.
Be Specific
Include concrete details and statistics when possible rather than vague generalities. For example, “manage social media platforms with over 1M collective followers” is stronger than “manage large social media presence.” Specifics are more persuasive.
Showcase Growth Opportunities
Mentioning advancement opportunities and career development can attract driven candidates looking to grow their skills and responsibilities. Outline clear promotion prospects or training programs.
Spotlight Company Achievements
Quickly highlighting exciting company achievements or awards can illustrate why your organization is an attractive employer. But keep it short and relevant to the role.
Avoid Exaggerated Language
Resist making exaggerated claims like “rockstar candidates only” or “the best workplace ever!” These can come across as inauthentic or gimmicky to job seekers. Keep language factual.
Use Positive Tone
Maintain an upbeat, enthusiastic tone to get job seekers excited about opportunities with your company. Avoid sounding bored, cynical or negative in descriptions.
Prioritize Diversity & Inclusion
Emphasizing diversity, equity and inclusion helps attract underrepresented applicants and conveys that your culture welcomes diverse perspectives. Note if you have employee resource groups.
Highlight Meaningful Work
Conveying how employees’ work contributes to a larger purpose can further compel purpose-driven applicants. Share how the role creates positive impact.
Keep Formatting Consistent
Use consistent text formatting, fonts, colors and styling across all job descriptions on your LinkedIn company page for a polished, cohesive employer brand.
By following LinkedIn job description formatting best practices like these, you can create compelling posts that attract qualified candidates and effectively communicate your employer brand. Take the time to craft well-formatted descriptions, and you’ll reap the benefits in applicant quality and quantity.