U.S. Office of Personnel Management www.opm.gov - Recruiting, Retaining and Honoring a World-Class Workforce to Serve the American People

OPM Job Announcement Wizard

This tool challenges you to find the 5 most common flaws in Federal job announcements and identify the 5 top solutions that make job postings clearer and more compelling to prospective applicants.  You'll also be able to explore a job announcement that "gets it right."

Here are the top 5 common problems in job announcements and their solutions:

Flaw 1:
Information is presented in a manner that is not intuitive for applicants.

Solution 1:
Make it easier for job-seekers to find the details they are looking for by organizing information according to these headings:

• Overview
• Duties
• Qualifications and Evaluation
• How to Apply
• Benefits and Other Information

Flaw 2:
Introduction is not welcoming and contains excessive jargon.

Solution 2:
Draw attention to your job posting with a concise, appealing summary that conveys an immediate sense of the position and entices job-seekers to keep reading.

Flaw 3:
Description of job requirements and duties looks too dense and uninviting to read.

Solution 3:
Use bullet points and white space to break up extended paragraphs and run-on sentences. It's more pleasing to the eye and easier for job-seekers to follow.

Flaw 4:
Instructions for submitting an application are complex and off-putting.

Solution 4:
Provide clear, step-by-step application instructions and describe what an applicant can expect throughout the hiring process.

Flaw 5:
Essential information is cluttered with supplementary content.

Solution 5:
Link externally to information that is not directly related to the job or agency, such as CTAP/ICTAP and other legally mandated information.

User Instructions:
Select Next for an example of common flaws and solutions.