Think of the last job you had. How much did the job description influence your decision to apply for the position? How closely did your experience on the job match the job description? In what ways was it similar and in what ways was it different?
- The job description for my last place of employment wasn’t listed out anywhere before applying. I heard about the position from an employee who was currently working there at the time. She explained the job description and duties of a barista in that shop to me, that is the position they were looking to fill, and said that they didn’t have any applications but if I was interested in working there that I could bring a resume and that they would give it to the owner. During the interview is when I was formally told the job description by the employer and when I was offered the position, I decided to take it because the job description sounded like it was a close match to what I was looking for in a job at the time. The only experience I had coming into the position was customer service, I didn’t have any actual experience as a barista or ever working with coffee. The only job where the level of customer service was similar was a sandwich shop I had worked at eight years prior. The owner of the shop said that they actually don’t look for people with coffee experience, that they have hired both people with a background in coffee and those without, and sometimes it’s better if the person doesn’t have coffee experience. Some coffee shops use syrups and some use powders, this was something I didn’t know before working in coffee; and so some people that she had hired in the past with coffee experience had a hard time adjusting and getting used to their recipes versus the people who came in with no prior coffee knowledge.
4 replies on “Job Descriptions”
Hello, for every job seeker, it is important that there are sufficient information about job position and job requirement available. People can distinguish whether they are qualified for the job. Only by this way, people can find what they want and feel satisified .
Hi Hannah,
Analyzing a job description means detailing what the job requires of its occupant in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities so that he/she can perform it properly. Job analysis seeks to determine what physical and mental requirements the occupant must have, the responsibilities the job imposes on him and the conditions under which the job must be done. Job descriptions are critical to the smooth running of a company. Several processes, especially those related to the human resources sector, depend on this.
Hi, it is interesting to hear that you did not find any job description before applying for the job, that is definitely something that would possibly change my mind about applying for the job.
HI Hannah,
I have extensive experience working with coffee and I’m still a novice when it comes to the vast world that it embodies. However, I agree with your employer that people who have just a little knowledge of coffee tend to think they know more than they really do. They might take great pride in it, but are misinformed about the realities of what coffee actually is. Was there any part of the job that did not fit the job description? Would you be okay with the job giving you work outside that description?