This May 4th, Star Wars Day, the team at Indeed has put together some keywords analysis on “Jedi” and some of its eccentric allies inthe galaxy of job search and postings on Indeed.
Jedi Jobs Since Star Wars: The Force Awakens debuted at the box office last year, Indeed has seen a 328% growth in appearances of “Jedi” either in job titles or job descriptions.
Bill Richards, UK Managing Director at Indeed, commented:
“In tribute to Star Wars Day and the latest installment in the franchise, we looked at our data to unveil any spikes in weird job titles and descriptions. Nebulous job titles such as “Galactic Viceroy of Research Excellence” sound like a lot of fun, but nothing attracts quality talent like a clear, factual job description. They turn up in job seeker searches, and crucially, they get more clicks.”
Indeed also looked into job searches for the titles:
Ninja, Rockstar, Wizard andGuru -- data and trends below.
Additionally, the terms Prophets, Catalyst and Enthusiast have started to show up as official job titles, although in insufficient quantities to make an impact on trends data. Shaman burned brightly for a brief moment in 2014, and was gone.
Top Quirky Job Searches
Ninja (noun):
After suffering a decline in the second half of 2015, ninjas have fought back—albeit thanks to job postings asking for everything from a “guitar building ninja” to a “duct cleaning ninja.”
Rockstar (noun):
Although currently suffering a slight decline, this remains a popular job keyword on Indeed—especially when written as one word.
Wizard (noun):
This keyword waxed and waned since the last Harry Potter movie in 2011.
Guru (noun):
A very popular keyword until July 2012, at which point it went into steep decline. However since it dropped off from a higher position, we still see employers asking for everything from “glass gurus” to “social media gurus.”
Top Tips for Better Job Descriptions
For employers in businesses of all sizes, Indeed’s Bill Richards suggests the following top tips for creating the very best job description to attract top talent to open roles.
Job Titles
- Make your job titles specific. Targeted job titles are more effective than generic ones.
- Avoid internal lingo that may confuse the job seeker. Stick to standard experience levels like “Senior” rather than “VI”.
- Keep the job title concise - our data shows job descriptions that are 80 characters or less receive more clicks.
Job Summary
- Open with a strong, attention-grabbing summary. Your summary should provide an overview of your company and expectations for the position.
- Hook your reader with details about what makes your company unique. Your job description is an introduction to your company and your employer brand.
- Include an exact job location. Provide an exact job location to optimise your job posting so it appears higher in job search results.
Responsibilities and Duties
- Outline the core responsibilities of the position. Make sure your list of responsibilities is detailed but concise.
- Highlight the day-to-day activities of the position. This will help candidates understand the work environment and the activities they will be exposed to on a daily basis.
- Specify how the position fits into the organisation. Indicate who the job reports to and how the person will function within your organisation, helping candidates see the bigger picture and understand how the role impacts the business.
Qualifications and Skills
Include a list of hard and soft skills. Of course, the job description should specify education, previous job experience, certifications and technical skills required for the role. You may also include soft skills, as well as personality traits that you envision for a successful hire.
Keep your list concise. Including too many qualifications and skills requirements could dissuade potential candidates.
