The time between April and June is an interesting one to monitor when you’re recruiting students and graduates via a job ad. In most European countries, final exams, thesis hand-in dates, as well as graduation ceremonies fall somewhere into this period.

That means your graduate job post has to compete at a time when the attention of your target audience is even more scattered than usual. Especially if grades are a major selection factor in your graduate recruitment, you might find that top students choose to focus on their corporate finance exam and bookmark a job to apply later.

Find the right headline for your job ad

All the more important it is to find a headline for your job that will get you some views. The Top 10 of the most viewed jobs in the last quarter show a variety of examples. Note that you don’t have to pour all your energy into finding a super-creative headline that’s different from all the others.

When it comes to jobs, students and graduates prefer it when you simply stay on message: A good title should at the very least specify the field/role you are recruiting for (e.g. Management Consultant). When you offer jobs that contain an element of on-the-job training, such as internships or trainee programs, it helps to state that as well.

The reason to add some of the key terms in the headline is that when job posts are shared across third party sites, the handy metadata (marked with bright green below) is most likely not included in the snippet that a candidate sees. Therefore, the entire pitch for the job has to be contained in the job title.

If there is still space, a hint at where the job is located might help attract extra attention (particularly when you know it’s a city popular with students). Another angle is to work your employer brand by using your company name in the headline.  

What doesn't make the cut?

Note which kinds of headline didn’t make it into the Top 10 ranking:

• Phrasing the headline as a (borderline rude) demand, e.g.: “Interns wanted!”
• A description or question that’s too generic, e.g.: “Are you seeking a challenge?”     

Don’t forget your teaser text

By the way, the headline is not the only thing that draws candidates towards a job. In the teaser text, you get a chance to elaborate what the job is about. We have put together a couple of examples on how to write a teaser text for a job for your inspiration.   

See other Graduateland Rankings

Top Jobs January - March 2017