How to Write a Killer Creative Job Description

When it comes to hiring a creative person, the right fit can make the difference between smooth sailing and serious struggle. Even if you have a sense of the kind of person you’re looking for, it can be challenging to write a job description that attracts the perfect person right out of the gate. How to get started?

Begin by talking about what it is that you do. Your candidate needs to understand what it is you sell or what service you provide. Think about why you are in business, how you best serve your customers and where you would like to see the company in five years. From those thoughts formulate a few lines that showcase what makes your firm special and would make anyone want to work for you.

Next, think about what a typical day might look like for this candidate. Are there meetings to attend? What type of work will need to be done? Who will assign them projects? What is the typical workflow? Highlight any creative contributions and responsibilities they might have as well as opportunities for advancement. That might come from mentioning who they report to.

After that, you’ll want to add any sort of software requirements and experience levels you are looking for. Try and be as specific as people can see themselves in about any role that is not explained well. If you know you’d want them to already be proficient at particular versions of software, say so. Consider other expertise you’d like the candidate to bring with them, so that you can elevate the skill set of your department or company.

Finally, end with a comment about your culture. Are you a casual crew or are things pretty buttoned up? Be honest. It’s a very different experience working at a family-oriented company vs. with a hard-working group looking for results. Think about who would be a good fit with your culture. Is it a charismatic, highly-experienced creative mind or a technical, detail-oriented workhorse? People know what they are capable of and this type of illustration helps them decide if this is a fit for them.

By asking yourself these questions, you will be able to put together a creative job description that will attract the right people to your company. And by having this job description, you can refer to it as you interview to make sure they have a complete understanding of what you see as a fit for you.

This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included. ©2011 Catherine Lang-Cline, Portfolio Creative, LLC.

Catherine Lang-Cline is co-founder and owner of Portfolio Creative, a workforce innovation firm that was named a fastest growing company in by Inc. magazine in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Portfolio Creative helps connect clients with creative talent in all areas of design, marketing, communications and advertising. www.portfolioiscreative.com.