So, What Might a Good Job Advertisement Look Like?

A good advertisement is very job specific, but as per yesterday’s post on how you have to start with a good advertisement if you want to attract talent because carbon-copy blah-blah-blah indicates you have a talent management problem. In this post, we’ll give you a sample job advertisement that is much better than the carbon-copy blah-blah-blah referenced in last Friday’s post. The advertisement is in italics. For a comparison, we include the carbon-copy blah-blah-blah in code font. While this advertisement is not perfect in any aspect, it does illustrate some of the concepts outlined in yesterday’s post.


Senior Technology Sourcing Manager


Here’s an exciting opportunity for an experienced sourcing manager or CTO in the technology domain to join ABC Bank in its downtown Manhattan (New York) location in a permanent role. The successful candidate will enjoy a base salary of up to 200K, which will be augmented by an uncapped performance-based bonus (using our corporate cost reduction and avoidance formula), a first-rate health plan, 401K matching, gym membership, and an annual training allowance.

Here's a superb opportunity for an experienced sourcing manager within the hardware and software domains looking to join a top tier investment bank. This is a permanent position based out of New York City that will pay a base salary of 150K plus a competitive bonus and benefits package.


The Senior Technology Sourcing manager will be responsible for all hardware and software buys and leases, corporate data centers, application hosting, and shared sourcing initiatives. In addition to negotiating favourable awards that benefit the company and the stakeholders, the successful candidate will be responsible for supplier relationship management and development initiatives. Our company is planning to transition from multiple discrete data centers that host its different divisions to a small number of data centers that will support our entire global operation in a shared infrastructure setup. One of your first tasks will be to manage the sourcing of our service provider and the multi-year, eight-figure outsourcing contract that will result. This is a challenge worthy of a superstar.


In this role you will manage Hardware and Shared Infrastructure Software sourcing initiatives, support the post contract supplier management of critical suppliers, and liaise with the legal department to ensure favourable commercial terms. In addition you will constantly interact with senior management to relay critical information about vendor relations and contracts. This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified candidate who has had strategic sourcing experience looking to manage a high visibility, multi-million dollar project for a leading investment bank.


This is a Senior position and we expect that successful candidates will have 10 years of combined experience, with at least 3 in a technology sourcing or CTO role, and either experience in, or considerable exposure or education in finance and financial services. A Bachelor’s degree is preferred, but candidates with equivalent experience and an ISM CPSM or equivalent certification will be considered.

In order to be considered for this position, you must have worked as a hardware and software sourcing manager on a global scale within the financial services industry for several years.


ABC Bank is top-tier international investment bank that is in the Fortune 500 in the US and the Global 1000. ABC encourages a culture of open communication, teamwork, and innovation and believes its results, and not hours, location, or overtime that counts. Employees can work flex hours and telecommute when needed, and take advantage of leading processes and tools to get results. Each sourcing manager is given access to a complete sourcing suite that includes an analysis engine, an optimization engine, and an end-to-end negotiation and contract management engine to make the sourcing process as smooth and efficient as possible.

A top tier investment bank.

Complete information on the role, our company, and our culture can be found on our corporate website, www.abcbank.com. The corporate job ID is 647862, and the complete description can be used by searching for this job ID in the careers portal. Applications can be submitted on our site, e-mailed to career-647862@abcbank.com, or faxed to 866 555 5555. If you have any questions, you can e-mail questions-647862@abcbank.com, speak to one of our HR professionals in an on-line chat between 9 and 5 ET, Monday to Friday, by way of the career chat feature in the careers portal, or call 888 555 5555. If no one is available to take your call, leave a voice mail and we will get back to you within 1 business day. All applications will be acknowledged when received, and all applicants who apply by the closing date of August 31, 2011 will be notified of whether or not they were selected for an interview by September 15, 2011. Those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted within one week of notification to set up a time. ABC Bank appreciates your interest and hopes we can exceed your expectations.

E-mail careers@recruiter.com

Unlike the carbon-copy blah-blah-blah, this advertisement is specific, focussed on the role, educationally and experientially defined, clear on corporate culture and benefit information, and complete in contact information. It could use some work, but considering the doctor banged it out in 30 minutes, it’s not bad. And it makes a point. It’s not hard to write a good job advertisement if you want to. So if you really want talent, you’ll do it.