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I'm qualified to apply for a job, but I'm reluctant to apply for the position as I noticed numerous typos in the advertisement (via a job agency).

How could I check the soundness of the employer or the workplace before applying, if their job postings reveal a lack of attention to detail and quality control?

What are some ways to confirm if a poorly written job posting is a unique occurrence or reflects general unevenness in the quality of the company's communication and other practices? (besides the obvious approach of checking other job ads, if any)

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    We cannot tell you what to do. If they are looking for an editor, you may be lucky and have a very secure job.
    – nvoigt ♦
    Commented Aug 10, 2016 at 12:57
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    is the advert written by the agency of the company itself ? does the company has a website or online presence that you can check to see if they "write good" ?
    – Max
    Commented Aug 10, 2016 at 13:02
  • Suggested an edit to questions to make them less about the specific situation (what do I do) and more about general strategies and things to consider when seeing a poorly written job ad. The situation is probably not unique and question should have value.
    – A.S
    Commented Aug 10, 2016 at 13:54
  • Hmm, I suppose this technically violates the "what to do" rule. But the question could be reworded to, "How should the fact that there are typos in a want ad affect my decision whether to apply for the job?", which I think would be well within bounds. OP is clearly asking how this one factor should affect a job decision.
    – Jay
    Commented Aug 10, 2016 at 14:10
  • Are they looking for a copy writer? Go and apply.
    – gnasher729
    Commented Aug 10, 2016 at 14:25

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What do typos in a want ad mean? It could mean the people at the company are a bunch of idiots who can't even write a coherent sentence. Or it could mean they are very busy and threw together a quick ad without proof-reading. It could mean whoever wrote the ad didn't think proper spelling and grammar is important. It could be the person who wrote the ad is an immigrant who is still learning English. It could be that the company submitted a flawless ad and the newspaper or web site or wherever you saw this ad messed it up. (I've had that happen to me with ads I've written.) Just from reading the ad, you don't know.

If the job sounds otherwise desirable, submit an application. If they don't call you for an interview, it's all a moot point. If they do call you for an interview, see how they conduct themselves there. If at the interview it's clear this company is a bunch of incompetent idiots, then thank them politely for their time and turn down any offer. If it becomes apparent that the reasons for the mangled ad are no big deal, then don't worry about it. Etc.

The best way to find out is to go on an interview. Remember, a job interview is the company deciding if they want to hire you, but also you deciding if you want to work for this company. If you go and find this is not a place you want to work, there's no law that says you have to accept any offer.

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