A key part of any local government’s hiring process is the creation and distribution of job descriptions.  Here is a step-by-step guide to creating the perfect job description.

1.  Heading. While this is the most important part of the job description in terms of catching people’s eyes, it is often the most overlooked. When writing your description, be sure to include the job title and the name of the city, county, or town in which the job is located, as well as any other “housekeeping” details you care to include (department, job code, supervisor, pay grade, location, etc.) Many choose to include these other details in other parts of the description, which is also fine.
2. Job Summary. Do not confuse this with the “responsibilities” section; an ideal summary is a three- to six-line explanation of the job. Be brief--but descriptive enough--to provide a general overview of the job. 
3. Responsibilities. While listing each and every responsibility that comes with the job is time consuming for both writer and reader, it is important to be exhaustive in listing all essential functions of the position. A good number of responsibilities is between five and 10. A good way to catch the reader’s eye is to give each responsibility up to a five-word title (such as Research Departmental Trends) and bold each title in a numbered or bulleted list. Make sure to be very clear about what each responsibility entails.
4. Skills and Qualifications. Start with necessary qualifications, and be concise in listing them. Examples include: five years’ experience in local government; proficiency with social media; knowledge of basic HTML; etc. Afterwards, list all preferred skills and qualifications, being sure to denote that they are preferred but not necessary.
5. Employer Overview. Many choose to put this section at the very beginning, or just after the job summary. The purpose of this section is to give candidates an idea of the basic statistics and details of your local government and your department in particular. Often, the introductory paragraph on your government’s (or department’s) website can function as an appropriate overview.
6. Other Details. All of the following should appear on your job description: department and supervisor; type of employment (part-time or full time; paid or unpaid); salary range and benefits. As noted, they can go in the heading, at the end, or anywhere in the description.
7. Contact Information. You must provide contact information for the recruiter.

Things to keep in mind while writing a job description: using specific active verbs, especially in the responsibilities section, is key in maintaining a potential applicant’s interest. Use words such as research; organize; mock up; and more. Furthermore, be as specific as you can with your language. That will help to avoid confusion among your applicants, and will also keep the description from being too long.

If you’d like to see some examples, here are the Knowledge Network’s top five most viewed job descriptions:

Rockville, MD, Organizational Development Manager

Durham, NC, Sustainability Manager

Kamloops, British Columbia, Labor Relations Officer

Watsonville, CA, Building Fire Safety Officer

Ormond Beach, FL, Budget Director

For more examples of job descriptions, visit the Knowledge Network’s Job Descriptions topic page.