Programmes like Trailblazers that give young people meaningful experience of the workplace can be transformative.
They give young people something that’s often missing from conversations about employability: real experience. Not a worksheet about work. Not a role-play. Actual experience of turning up, contributing, solving problems, working with other people and navigating all the messy, unpredictable realities that come with being part of a team.
For many young people, that's where confidence starts to grow. They discover they're capable of more than they thought. Employers get to see potential in action. Everyone wins.
But there is a question that keeps popping up in my head.
What happens next?
A young person completes a placement. They’ve shown commitment, reliability and resilience. They’ve worked with colleagues of different ages and stages in their career, responded to feedback, and handled challenges they never anticipated.
Then they open a job advert. They read it twice.
And suddenly they’re looking at phrases like: “stakeholder management”, “deliverables”, “dynamic self-starter” and “managing competing priorities”.
And they think: “I can probably do this job, but I don’t know what any of these words mean. It doesn’t sound like anything I can do.’
The problem isn’t capability; it’s language, the workplace dialect that needs translating into plain English.
If you have grown up listening to the language of recruitment through family networks, education, work experience or early exposure to professional environments, then you are more likely to be fluent in recruiters’ language.
Job descriptions can often be vague. On paper, they look professional, but in real life, they’re vague. And those who do well with the vague requirements listed are the people who already know the lingo.
A young person might have spent months demonstrating exactly the skills employers say they are looking for:
They showed up on time.
Listened to feedback and adapted their approach.
Worked with people they didn’t choose.
Solved problems with limited support.
Taken responsibility when things went wrong.
Communicated professionally with adults.
They took responsibility when something went wrong.
That is employability in the real world, but completing those experiences doesn’t automatically teach someone how to describe them in the language of recruitment.
But then they read a job description asking for “stakeholder management” and “excellent written communication” and “commercial awareness,” and they think, Is that me?
A young person might have organised a community event without calling it project management.
They might have helped resolve a disagreement without describing it as conflict resolution.
They might have balanced education, caring responsibilities and a part-time job without realising they've been managing competing priorities for years.
The capability is there.
The language often isn't.
And that's where good candidates can start to disappear from the recruitment process before they've even had a chance to demonstrate what they can do.
Five practical changes employers can make:
- Describe outcomes rather than relying on adjectives
Instead of asking for a “dynamic self-starter”, explain what the successful candidate will be expected to take responsibility for. Employers can describe what the person will do during their first few weeks, what they will be expected to manage independently, and what success might look like after three months.
Instead, try saying: You will be trusted to organise your own workload, manage deadlines and look for solutions when challenges arise.
- Separate what is essential from what can be learned
Employers should distinguish between the capabilities someone must have when they start, those that can be developed through training and those that would be helpful but are not necessary.
A simple structure of Must, Train and Bonus can help candidates make a more informed decision about whether to apply. It can also encourage employers to examine whether every requirement is genuinely necessary.
When almost everything is presented as essential, organisations risk narrowing their pool before recruitment has properly begun.
- Translate professional jargon into plain English
If a role involves “stakeholder management”, explain who those stakeholders are and what the successful candidate will need to do with them. If “strong communication” is required, clarify whether that means writing reports, speaking with customers, explaining technical information or contributing during team meetings.
If an environment is described as “fast-paced”, candidates should be told what creates that pace. It could mean responding to customers quickly, managing frequent deadlines or adjusting priorities throughout the day.
Plain English does not reduce the status or complexity of a role. It gives candidates the information they need to assess whether it is right for them.
- Give candidates relevant ways to demonstrate their abilities
A written application may be appropriate where writing is central to the role, but it should not automatically become the main test for every type of job.
Where written communication is not essential, employers can consider proportionate alternatives that allow candidates to demonstrate relevant skills and experience. Whatever formats are offered, every applicant should be assessed consistently against the same clear criteria.
Employers should also explain the recruitment process in advance, including what each stage will involve, how long it is expected to take and whether reasonable adjustments are available.
- Use proportionate, realistic work samples
Where appropriate, a short work sample can provide more useful information than a highly polished cover letter. The task should reflect the actual responsibilities of the role, take no longer than necessary and be assessed against predetermined criteria.
A practical role should, where possible, include a practical opportunity to demonstrate ability. More substantial tasks that generate useful work for the employer should be paid.
The purpose is not to make candidates complete another obstacle course. It is to give them a fair opportunity to show what they can do.
This isn't just about young people.
Career changers experience it.
People returning to work experience it.
Candidates without professional networks experience it.
And neurodivergent candidates can experience it too.
Research into neuro-inclusive recruitment suggests that vague requirements, unexplained jargon and personality-based descriptions can make it harder for neurodivergent candidates to judge whether a role is genuinely right for them.
Some may decide not to apply at all because the advert leaves too much room for interpretation. Clear, outcome-focused job descriptions are increasingly recommended as part of creating more accessible recruitment processes.
If a role genuinely requires a particular skill, candidates need to understand what that skill looks like in practice.
The clearer we are, the more likely people are to recognise their own potential.
Programmes that provide meaningful workplace experience matter enormously.
But meaningful work experience alone is only part of the journey.
Young people need support to recognise the skills they've developed, translate them into language employers understand and communicate them with confidence.
At the same time, employers should examine whether their recruitment processes make those skills harder to demonstrate than they need to be.
Because if we only invest in creating opportunities and funding the experience and not help young people connect those opportunities to employment, we're only building half the bridge.
The real test of a good job advert isn't how impressive it sounds; it's whether the right candidates can understand the role, recognise the relevant skills within themselves and make an informed decision to apply.
Because good recruitment isn't just about helping employers find talent; it's about helping talent recognise itself.
If you want the right candidate, stop writing job descriptions like a professional password.
Write so the person who can do the job can recognise themselves in the words.
Otherwise we’ll keep doing the same thing: praising programmes for building confidence, then letting job adverts quietly knock it back down.
And we’ll keep hiring the best spin.
Not the best fit.
Plain English doesn't make a role less professional. It makes talent easier to find.
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