Job description
A job description explains the work an employer expects someone in a particular role to do.
It usually sets out the main duties, the team or reporting relationship, and the purpose of the role. Employers may put required experience and skills in the same document or in a separate person specification. Acas recruitment guidance treats the job description and person specification as information applicants need to understand the vacancy.
Read the duties alongside the title. A role called account manager might involve winning new customers, supporting existing ones, or both. Separate requirements the employer calls essential from preferences, then connect your relevant experience to the work. Vague phrases such as handling projects need follow-up questions about scope, decisions and resources. Keep a copy of the description you applied to, and compare it with the role discussed in interviews and the eventual offer.
Example
A coordinator role mentions budget responsibility. The applicant asks whether this means tracking invoices or deciding how a department spends its budget.
What to check
- Identify the main tasks and expected results.
- Separate essential requirements from preferences.
- Ask about unclear duties before accepting.