How to Tailor Job Descriptions to Attract College Students

In order to attract college students and other early talent to your company and open positions, you need to tailor your job descriptions specifically towards them. College students read through your posts much differently than workers, much later in their careers. Here are the aspects of your role and company that you need to focus on in your job descriptions in order to really attract college students.

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Relevant Job Title

Before you write your job description, you need to have a perfect name for the role. When naming the position and posting it, it should actually sound like an entry-level position to attract these college students, even if it doesn’t specifically say entry-level. They will most likely skip past job titles with Senior and Manager, but will be more likely to read Associate, Assistant, and Clerk. By using these specific words, you will attract college students before they even read what the position is all about!

Stay Skill Focused

Now you should focus on the qualifications or expertise these college students need to possess. Many college students will feel defeated if they see “three years of experience” or something similar in the qualifications and they will not apply to save their time. Instead, you need to focus on the actual skills you’re looking for. Do you need applicants to have great time management skills, customer service skills, or proficiency in specific software? List that instead.

The specific years of experience are irrelevant so long as they can perform well in the role, so don’t play mind games with these college students and make them think they’re not good enough, when they actually have all the necessary skills you’re looking for! Instead of someone seeing years they don’t have and skipping past it, they’ll say, “Hey, I can do that!” and apply right away!

Short List of Responsibilities

Next, you want the job description, and more specifically, your expected list of responsibilities, to be succinct. When your list goes on and on for far too many bullet points, college students will feel overwhelmed and click off of your position, whether they fear they can’t handle it all or if it sounds like far too much busy work. While college students will happily put in all they can for you, you don’t want to bombard them with a plethora of responsibilities right off the bat, especially if that doesn’t accurately reflect their time.

When your job description includes too many requirements, you are muddying the waters and confusing any potential applicants by what the main duties and responsibilities of the position actually are. You should list the most important and frequent tasks that you expect them to complete. If something is only done once a year, it probably isn’t important enough to list in the job description. It is best to keep these bullet points between four and seven. Any higher will just cause confusion and you can always bring up smaller responsibilities during the interviews or in training.

Include Pay and Benefits

It is extremely important that you include your genuine pay range and any benefits this position offers. Not only is it a growing requirement within the country, but it positively impacts your hiring process. If the expected pay isn’t listed, college students won’t waste their time or yours and streamlines the hiring process so people only apply if they agree with your proposed wage. They know how much they need to make to afford all of their bills and if you offer any benefits they are looking for. If they’re current college students, they want to know that the schedule is flexible enough to accommodate their classes and homework time, whereas new college graduates are starting to look for good health benefits!

Including your pay also sets the bar for your transparency, which is something many college students are looking for. They want to work for a company that is honest and values its employees. This is just the first sign of many that will show these college students that you care.

Describe Company Culture

Next, you want to include a little blurb about your company and your culture. This connects to that transparency previously mentioned and will draw college students in. You want to hook them in with how much you value employees, plus the fun or great perks of working for you.

Describe the company’s beliefs and core values that it was founded on. Talk about the relationships employees have with each other and how you bond outside of work. Do you have catered lunches, holiday parties, or any other kind of retreats? While this does not relate to the role specifically, it gets these college students interested in you, the role, and any other positions currently open at your company if the one they see first doesn’t seem to be the best fit for them.

When you keep your job description focused on applicable skills, succinct, and let your company’s brand, voice, and values shine through, you will attract a high volume of college student applicants.