Like real estate ads, job ads are often written in an arcane language designed to sell rather than inform. So, just as buyers need to know that ‘renovator’s delight’ is code for ‘uninhabitable’, job seekers should understand that ‘employee with a flexible attitude’ often means ‘someone happy to work 16-hour days without overtime’!

Having written thousands of job ads for previous corporate employers, we’re fluent in dodgy-job-ad-speak and happy to provide the following translations…

• ‘we’re looking for someone to grow into the role’ = ‘we pay peanuts and want someone under 25 who will do what they’re told’

• ‘challenging environment’ = ‘toxic culture’

• ‘opportunity to fast-track your career’ = ‘turnover is so bad that you can go from receptionist to CEO in a year’

• ‘fast-growing family business’ = ‘workplace devoid of any professionalism’.

Alarm bells should also ring if an ad isn’t clear about who the role reports to. This usually means they don’t know, which in turn means they haven’t really thought the role through and may not even proceed with hiring someone. An unusually vague job description should also have you on high alert: it often means the organisation doesn’t want to alert the incumbent to the fact that they are on their way out, which in turn means you could find yourself tip-toeing through a political minefield if you get the job.

So, in summary, remember that job ads – like RSVP profile photos – are usually only vaguely representative of reality. Smart job hunters keep a cool head and ask lots of questions. They also use recruitment agencies like GXY Search, who vet their clients and only put them forward for great roles.