What Makes a Good Early Career Opportunity?

First impressions matter

If you're an employer looking to recruit an apprentice, intern, graduate or entry-level employee, writing the opportunity is more important than you might think.

For someone at the beginning of their career, a job advert can be the first impression they have of your organisation. They may be reading it with very little idea of what they're supposed to be looking for.

A good early career opportunity shouldn't make candidates work out what you're offering. You need to be clear, realistic, and tell people what they can expect.

1. A clear salary

Candidates shouldn't have to guess what they'll earn. State the salary or pay clearly, along with the working hours and whether the role is full-time or part-time. If the salary is pro rata, explain what that means in practice.

You should also highlight important benefits where relevant, such as pension contributions, holiday entitlement, training or travel support. Transparency saves everyone time.

2. Realistic requirements

If you're advertising an entry-level position, don't accidentally turn it into an experienced hire. Question every requirement. Do you really need three years' experience, or could the skill be taught? Do candidates genuinely need a degree, or would relevant skills and enthusiasm be enough?

Separate your requirements into essential and desirable wherever possible and remember that someone applying for their first job may not have a long CV. This doesn't mean they don't have potential.

3. Clear responsibilities

Candidates should be able to picture themselves doing the job.

Avoid vague phrases like "You'll support the wider team with various tasks", and instead, explain what they'll actually be doing.

For example:

• Supporting customer enquiries
• Creating social media content
• Updating website pages
• Assisting with projects
• Using industry software
• Attending team meetings

4. Training

Early careers candidates are there to learn, so tell them how you're going to help them do that.

Will they have a mentor? Will they receive formal training? Will they work towards a qualification? Will they learn from experienced colleagues? Will they have opportunities to develop new skills?

Tell your candidates what you can offer them, rather than just telling them what you expect them to bring to the role.

5. Progression

Nobody expects an employer to guarantee exactly where someone will be in five years, but it's useful to explain what could happen next.

Could the role lead to a permanent position? Are there opportunities to take on more responsibility? Can employees gain further qualifications? Could they progress into other areas of the organisation?

Even a simple explanation of potential progression can help a candidate understand that you're thinking beyond their first few months.

6. A straightforward application

Remember that this could be someone's first ever job application, so don't make the process unnecessarily complicated.

Tell candidates what they need to submit, where to submit it, when the deadline is, what happens after they apply and how the interview process works.

Avoid asking candidates to jump through unnecessary hoops just to get through the first stage. If you're asking for a CV and covering letter, say why. If you're using an online application form, keep the questions relevant. The easier it is to understand how to apply, the more likely people are to actually apply.

Think like a first-time applicant

Before you publish your opportunity, read it again from the perspective of someone applying for their first job.

Ask yourself:

• Would I understand what this job involves?
• Would I know what I'm going to earn?
• Would I understand what I need to be able to do?
• Would I know what I'm going to learn?
• Would I know where the opportunity could lead?
• Would I know exactly how to apply?

Keep it clear and realistic

If the answer to all six is yes, you're probably on the right track.

A good early career opportunity shouldn't try to make the role sound complicated or overly impressive. It just needs to be clear, realistic and genuinely worth applying for.