From ‘rock star’ to ‘ninja’, 8 common job description words we hope, die with 2022

“Are you a marketing rockstar? Do you live to devise campaigns that increase audience engagement? Do you breathe, eat and dream about brand awareness? Then this is just the job for you…”

If you have been moderately active on job portals like Linkedin, Naukri.com, etc you will no doubt have come across inane, over-the-top job descriptions like this one. Just like empty vessels, these epithets sound fancy but tell us little about the type of candidate they are looking for. As 2022 draws to an end, below we list some job descriptions (or rather candidate descriptions to be honest) that we are sick and tired of.

2022 is on its deathbed. As we get set to bid farewell to the current year and welcome ‘23, these job description terms need to go as well! When it comes to job postings, if the recruiter has to resort to euphemisms to describe who they are looking for, that may not be worth applying anyway.

‘Rockstar’

This word has become rather commonplace on job sites. Nearly every company- from Fortune 500 biggies to up-and-coming startups nowadays it seems is desperate to have a ‘rockstar’ in their team.

The buzzword no doubt adds a glam factor to job descriptions (rockstars despite being seemingly unkempt have been not glam) Seasoned job seekers, however, know better.

“Do not fall for jobs asking for rockstars, that’s code for underpaid, overworked, and underappreciated,” warned a Reddit user on a popular subreddit. Another cautioned that companies that are on the prowl for a “rockstar employee” may indeed be short on staff and looking for someone who can handle the additional workload. “It also means that they have a track record of having less staff than they need so guess who they expect to carry the load? You guessed it, the rockstar,” they stated.

Truthfully speaking, the usage of this particular word in the context of a job description is perplexing. Rockstars tend to be charismatic, and energetic and many do possess oodles of musical talent. But they also defy convention and the status quo. From David Bowie to Jimi Hendrix, rockstars have symbolised living on the edge. Not a good cultural fit for companies that thrive on maintaining the status quo.

‘Hustle’

This one is another red flag. When a job description says they need candidates who are exceptionally good at hustling it usually indicates one of the following scenarios:

• The company has been recently funded and is aiming to recruit more just for the sake of it. There will be no fixed duties and hours and employees will probably be expected to do what they can, and go above and beyond to satisfy clients.
• There will be no one to teach you the ropes. How you go about and get things done will be entirely on you. The management will throw you to the wolves, after a fashion.

‘Wearing Multiple Hats’

Yet another ludicrous buzzword. First of all, many researchers have tirelessly pointed out time and again, that multitasking is mostly a myth. A 2010 research found out just 2.5 per cent of people can actually multitask. Rest just end up task-switching aimlessly while trying to multitask.

Moreover, professionals are well-aware of the negative connotations of wearing multiple hats.

If you are an intern or at the beginning of your career, it is both exciting as well as productive to take up multiple roles from marketing to coding. But to experienced employees, the prospect of multiple hats is a bitter pill to swallow. One Redditor wrote, “This just means you're going to do a lot of things that aren't part of your actual job and for which you might not get paid."

‘Ability To Work In A Fast-Paced Environment’

The ability to meet deadlines is one of the hallmarks of a good employee. However, if a job description emphasises too much on the ‘fast-paced’ culture, it may be an indicator of poor management or lack of staff.

‘Ninja’

Another overused word by recruiters. Ninjas were an extremely rare and prized group of mercenaries in feudal Japan. It took decades of practise and relentless discipline (not to mention nearly God-level skills at combat, subterfuge, and diplomacy) to even qualify to be one. For regular administrative jobs or entry-level work, this word is not just out-of-place, it’s wasted.

‘We Are A Family’

It’s almost 2023. If the mass firings and wholesale job cuts of 2022 haven’t already opened your eyes, we don't know what will.

Organisations are not your family.

In some rare cases, some co-workers may become a guide/guide or a close friend with whom you want to spend time outside of office hours, but that is mostly it. In corporate lingo, the word ‘family’ is overused and misused by some unscrupulous managers to get more working hours out of employees. ‘Family’ has just become a diplomatic way of describing a lack of work-life balance.

‘Dynamic Self-Starter’

Similar to ‘hustle’, this mostly means that you will probably not get much help or guidance and will be expected to know all the ropes by day one.

10+ Years Experience For Entry Level Job

Ah, don’t we love entry-level jobs that somehow demand years and years of industry experience? These types of job descriptions are the bane of every job-seeker out there. It also is rather a catch-22 scenario. To get the experience you need a job. But if entry-level jobs demand seasoned professionals, where does that leave you?

Here’s why so many entry-level jobs demand 5+ years of experience:

• Companies are looking for candidates who will have the skills and work ethic of a veteran but are not willing to pay them the salary that is commensurate with such experience.

• The organisation is unwilling to invest in training the employees, so they are looking for people who can function without being handheld by senior members of the team.