Job searching · 3 min read
Read a job ad properly
A job ad is doing more than listing duties. Read it closely and it tells you what the role really needs, what the team behind it is like, and whether it is worth your time to apply at all. Most people skim the ad and either talk themselves out of a role they could do, or pour effort into one that was never a fit. A few minutes of careful reading saves hours of wasted applications.
Separate the essentials from the wish list
Most ads blend a few genuine must-haves with a long list of nice-to-haves, and present them as if they were equal. They are not. You almost never need every item, and plenty of people hired into the role did not have them all either.
Find the handful of things the role clearly cannot do without, and weigh yourself against those rather than the full list. If you meet most of the real essentials, you are within range, so apply.
Read between the lines
How a role is written says a lot about the team that wrote it. A vague, buzzword-heavy ad and a clear, specific one tell you very different things: about how well the team understands what it wants, and about what working there might actually be like.
Find the real priorities
What sits at the top of the ad, and what gets repeated through it, is usually what matters most. If a particular skill or outcome keeps appearing, that is the heart of the role. Make sure your application speaks to that first, before the secondary points.
Spot the signals, good and bad
Job ads leak information about the employer if you know what to look for.
- A clear scope and honest expectations are a good sign
- Every skill under the sun in one role can mean an unrealistic job, or two jobs in one
- Heavy talk of pace, hustle and resilience can hint at pressure or churn
- A stated salary range is usually the mark of a straightforward employer
Decide quickly and move on
Once you have read it properly, make the call without agonising for an hour over a single ad. A simple gut check is usually enough.
- Do I meet the genuine essentials
- Does the work itself actually appeal to me
- Is there a clear dealbreaker I cannot live with
The short version
Read the ad for what the role really needs, and for what it quietly tells you, and you will spend your energy on the applications most likely to pay off.