Mozilla’s nearly flawless job ad, and why.

“The internet has a people problem” and other notable examples.

Unlike most job ads, Mozilla’s job ad for The Coral Project is one you’ll probably actually read. It’s engaging, concise, and personal—without requiring a heavy dose of casualness.

Having reviewed a few thousand job ads over the course of the past decade, I’ve seen it all. The two-liner. The dissertation. The heavily cheeky. The irreverent-bordering-on-offensive. And the outright offensive.

There is no perfect job ad. Sometimes the most effective ad is the longest and most direct. Other times it’s the shortest and most casual. Mozilla’s job ad is exemplary regardless of industry, title, length, or candor. It was written by Andrew Losowsky, project lead for Mozilla Foundation’s Coral Project and adjunct professor in journalism at The New School, the latter of which shouldn’t come as a surprise given the quality of his writing.

I reached out to Andrew to understand his approach to writing job ads. Some of his remarks accompany my observations below.

1. A compelling intro that cuts to the chase.

“The internet has a people problem.” Boom. Mozilla’s ad skips the banal company intro and immediately dives into the Why…