Job ads alone can be incredibly telling of what applicants can expect from roles, writes Kirstie Mcdermott.
Job hunting can be tough, so we wouldn’t blame you if, after a few hours on your first day of searching, you felt like giving up completely and staying put.
That’s because you might have encountered a terrible job ad (or ten). The good news is that awful job postings are a bit of an endangered species and are on the way out, but you can still find some lurkers.
Below, you’ll find some red flags to watch out for in job listings – if you see all or any of these, close the page and move swiftly on. (Alternatively, you could go straight to the Professional Beauty job board and save yourself a lot of pain!)
1. Really vague job descriptions
If you can’t get a clear sense of what the job description is from the listing, this is a sign of a company without clear focus, forward planning or goals. Avoid!
2. Too many tasks and responsibilities
When you see a job posting that contains a huge list of responsibilities, some of which are out of the scope of what would normally be expected for a beauty job or if you’ll be expected to do tasks that are the remit of a totally different job, think twice. It either means that the employer doesn’t really know what they are looking for, or they are expecting far too much from the role.
3. Cliché phrasing
Companies adore buzzwords – some can be amusing and raise a smile, but there are other, more nefarious ones to keep an eye out for too. “No two days are the same” or “must be willing to switch lanes or directions quickly” are often seen in conjunction with ”fast-paced work environment”, and in a nutshell, it can mean that the work environment is chaotic.
4. “Fast learner”
If you see any combination of the words “Self-starter”, “Fast learner” or “Able to manage your own time”, take a beat. What this really means in this context is you won’t be given much direction, you’ll have to figure things all out on your own, and your workload will be so intense you’ll be managing it into the night, every night. Yes, that’s what “your own time” means in this instance.
5. “Management experience” or “mentoring required”
Unless you’re going for a management position, where you’ll be managing a team and providing feedback to staff, this is a red flag. It essentially means that the company will expect you to manage your colleagues, provide feedback and mentoring on top of your actual job, but they definitely won’t be paying you a management salary to do so.
Armed with this information, are you ready to start job hunting? These three companies are hiring, and there are plenty more opportunities available on the Professional Beauty Job Board too.
Beauty Opportunities – David Jones Sydney Flagship, David Jones
There are a range of beauty jobs available across all of New South Wales including David Jones’ flagship store on Elizabeth Street, which include full and part time roles for beauty consultants and advisors, beauty therapists, makeup artist and counter manager. You’ll report directly to the counter manager and will experience unique levels of exposure to a world class store management team and beauty brands. You will have the responsibility to develop your knowledge of and drive your brands’ performance. You will need to be a qualified beauty therapist (Diploma or Certificate) or have a qualification in makeup artistry, and have previous experience in a customer facing role within beauty or retail. Find out more here.
Casual Beauty Advisor -The Galeries, The Body Shop International Limited
To support the store management team in Sydney in driving sales and profit, the Casual Beauty Advisor will be part of a dedicated team of consultants who will offer expert advice to customers and provide an inspirational insight into The Body Shop products and philosophy. You will get to learn the products, their origins and proactively engage with customers to experience a range that suits their preferences and lifestyle. You will need to have strong interpersonal skills to build rapport with customers, so previous customer service experience is ideal. Get more information here.
Store Manager | Canberra, AESOP Corporate
Aesop is looking for a dedicated and enthusiastic individual for the role of Store Manager for its Canberra space. You’ll be working full-time on a Tuesday to Saturday roster, and will be responsible for budgeting, store-specific marketing, and building the store’s client base, as well as choreographing the daily activities of a team of retail consultants. You’ll have experience in the retail sector as a manager or assistant manager of a store or counter, the confidence to sell products requiring specialist knowledge and a willingness to embrace demonstration-based sales techniques. Find out more here.
If you want to post your job to our Professional Beauty Job Board, get in touch today.
And if you’re more interested in exploring your career potential, browse all the open positions waiting for your application.
This article was produced in partnership with Jobbio.
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