How to read a job post and decide whether to apply

Many job posts are put together from two sources. A hiring manager writes down what the work is, and a recruiter or a template adds the standard parts around it. The result is often a long page where the useful lines are mixed with filler. Reading it well takes about ten minutes, and it saves you from both applying to jobs you cannot do and skipping jobs you could.

Split the post into four parts

Before you judge anything, sort what you are reading:

• The title and level. What the company calls the role, and how senior it sounds.
• The work. The list of things you will do. This is the real job.
• The ask. The skills, tools and years of experience they want.
• Everything else. The company blurb, the perks and the legal lines. Read it last.

Most of your decision comes from the second and third parts.

Find the real job first

Read the work list and ignore the title for now. Titles vary a lot between companies, and the same title can mean quite different jobs. Look at the verbs. "Run", "own" and "decide" describe a person who makes the calls. "Support", "assist" and "help with" describe a person who works under someone else's direction. Neither is better, but they are different jobs.

Then write one sentence: what will this person be paid to do? If the first lines of the list and the last lines describe different kinds of work, the post may be two jobs in one. Note that, because it is something to ask about.

Questions the post raises

A post cannot answer everything. These phrases are worth turning into a question for the interview:

Sort the requirements

Requirement lists are often longer than the real need. No outsider can be sure which lines are firm, but a few signs help:

• A requirement that also appears in the work list is more likely to matter.
• Items near the top of the list tend to matter more than items near the bottom.
• A named tool, a number of years or a certificate is something a screening step may check.
• Words like "nice to have" and "preferred" mean what they say.

Now go through the list and mark each line you miss as either learnable or fixed. A tool you have not used yet is learnable. A location, a language, a legal requirement or a licence is fixed. A few learnable gaps should not stop you. A fixed gap that you cannot meet usually should.

A number of years is a guide to level more than a hard line, but some employers do filter on it, so state your own number truthfully and do not stretch it.

Signs that need a second look

• No salary range. This is common and tells you little by itself. Plan to ask early in the process.
• Ten unrelated tools and no clear owner. The company may not yet know what it wants.
• A post that has been up for a long time, or keeps coming back. Ask whether the role is still open and why.
• Any request for money. A real employer does not ask you to pay a fee to apply, to get an interview or to receive an offer. Stop there.
• Personal documents at the first step. Bank details and identity documents belong later, after a written offer from a company you have checked, not in a first application.

The ten minute decision

1. Write the one sentence that says what the job is.
2. Mark three items in the work list that you have already done.
3. Mark every requirement you miss as learnable or fixed.
4. Check the things that cannot be changed: location, work mode, pay if it is stated, and notice period.
5. Choose one: apply now, save for later, or skip.

If you chose to apply, copy the words the post uses for the work. They are the words to use in your top lines. The guide on tailoring your resume shows how. You can also paste the post and your resume into the resume keyword check to see which of its words your resume already uses.

If you would rather start from jobs that already fit your resume, start with a 7-day free trial, no card needed.