The post I am writing today is about the job I currently have at OSU. I am the Risk Management Assistant for OSU’s Risk Services. I have held this position since February of 2019 and I learned of it through the COB’s This Week in Business newsletter. For me, the job description was hugely important. The job description laid out major duties of the position, key functions, and requirements. I met all minimum qualifications for the position and nearly all preferred qualifications. After seeing this, and reading the job description, I believed I would be a great fit and was encouraged to apply.
After holding the position for over a year, I would say the job description very closely matches up with what I actually do. I would say it is 85% accurate. The other percentage that deviates is likely because I have exceeded the “normal” time most students hold the position, so I have been challenged to take on additional tasks, which has been great for my learning. I have attached below the Position Summary from the original job posting, so you may get an idea of the work I am writing about.
Position Summary
This recruitment will be used to fill one part-time (a maximum of 20 hours per week) Risk Management Assistant position for the Enterprise Risk Services at Oregon State University (OSU).
The Risk Management Assistant will support the risk management function of Risk Services. This position will focus on the development and improvement of insurance and risk-related processes and programs, collection and tracking of certificates of insurance, supporting the insurance renewal process, implementation of databases/information systems, archiving of files, and promotion and delivery of risk related information to OSU staff.
2 replies on “Week 3 – Job Descriptions”
Using the school’s platform I have found that the job description is very important because it is likely the only insight that is available. I find that if I don’t match the required and preferred qualifications I don’t see an ability to pursue the position. I think that it is great that you were given a good description of your role and were able to be flexible when you were given greater responsibility.
Hello Hannelore,
It sounds like you had a very good experience in finding a job that matched the job description that you attracted you to the position in the first place. Now that you are in the position for some time, do you think that you are as satisfied with the job description?
You note that you have been challenged and are evolving the position as you are mastering the tasks. Does it seem like you are shaping the future direction of the position? Have you revised your original position description in a formal way?
Do you also look for things that are transferable skills when you are considering job descriptions for positions that you might actually apply for?
As I am looking for full time work as I finish up school, I find myself thinking about the skills that I need to start getting, and then how those can build into the next sills that I can get. I think I tend to look for long term advantages and to fill in gaps in my knowledge.