How to Write a Great Job Advert

**This post has been updated in 2023

'You only have one chance to make a good first impression.' The same applies to your job advert.

We all know that recruiting top talent has become increasingly challenging over the past few years, with schools trying to consistently perform against budget cuts and staff shortages, it has never been more crucial for schools to review their approach to recruitment. 

As the demand for teachers increases, it is fast becoming a competitive market in the search for the ideal candidate and your advert is the first step, if not the most important step in your recruitment process. 

Here’s our top 10 tips to consider when writing your job advert:

1) Your opening paragraph is key! Consider your target audience and be concise, you want to grab the reader’s attention within the first few sentences, talk about the role and allow the reader to decide if this is the job for them. 

2) Refrain from using unnecessary jargon, filling your advert with acronyms, abbreviations, buzzwords and an over complicated job title can have a negative effect on your application rates. Use search friendly content and ensure your job title is clear, focused and searchable, potential applicants will be scanning for key words.

3) Location is just one of the key elements you should be including in your advert. Most job seekers will search for jobs based on location so be sure to include the town, city, county etc. 

4) Salary is an influencing factor for job seekers and its estimated that two in three job seekers are more likely to apply for a role when a salary is presented on a job advert. Consider your audience, you may be advertising for a support role at a salary of KR2, however would everyone necessarily know what KR2 is? Include the range but also include the precise salary. 

5) Include the key benefits of working for your school, whether it be reward, development or finishing up early on a Friday afternoon, include all the perks your employee can look forward to.

6) Put yourself in the applicant’s shoes, what would you want to know? Focus on your selling points and include key information such as an overview of your school, qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience - but keep it brief.

7) Ensure your formatting is on point. You want to convey a clear and concise message to your reader, use headings, bullet points or short sentences. 

8) With a rise of applicants using their smartphones and tablets to search for jobs, make it easy to read. You don’t need to over complicate it, less is more.

9) Does your advert align to your job description? Once you have hooked your applicants in with your fantastic advert, ensure your job description is as equally as fantastic.

10) Ensure there is a clear call to action, making it as simple as possible for job seekers to apply, whether that be by directing them straight to the online application form or a direct link to your school’s website. 

In summary, you do not want to find yourself sifting through hordes of applications, so taking the necessary time and effort to perfect your advert could potentially increase your chances of attracting a better calibre candidate, discourage weaker applications, and ultimately reduce your time and advertising costs.

Lastly, be aware of spelling and grammar mistakes, job seekers do notice these. Check, check and check your advert again. 

Don't forget Kent-Teach monthly and monthly+ customers can access advert writing support from the team of experts. Get in touch with a member of the Kent-Teach team today for help and advice on advert writing and all things school recruitment. 

We recommend that all our school customers use the Kent-Teach online application form, regardless of the advertising package that you are on. Here are 8 reasons why our online application form will increase the number of applications you receive for your vacancies.