In this guide
Templates, checklists and worksheets
A worksheet for reading a job description properly
Sort every requirement in an advert into essential, desirable or implied, match it to your evidence and note the employer's own words before you tailor.
Read the advert three times for three things
- First read: what is this job for? Write one sentence on the problem the role solves.
- Second read: list every requirement, duty and skill, in the employer's own words.
- Third read: look for what is implied but not stated, such as working pace, stakeholders or tools that follow from the duties.
The worksheet
Role and employer: [title, organisation] What the job is for: [one sentence] Requirement | Essential, desirable or implied | My evidence | Gap? | Employer's words [requirement 1] | [type] | [example from your work] | [yes or no] | [their phrasing] [requirement 2] | [type] | [example] | [yes or no] | [their phrasing] Lead with: [the two or three requirements you prove best] Real gaps: [essential requirements you do not meet] Decision: [apply, apply and address the gap, or skip]
Essential, desirable and implied
| Type | How to recognise it | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | 'Must have', 'required', a licence or legal condition | A real gap here usually decides whether to apply |
| Desirable | 'Ideally', 'nice to have', 'an advantage' | Helpful but rarely decisive; transferable evidence often covers it |
| Implied | Follows from the duties, such as 'reports to the board' implying written communication | Worth evidencing because other applicants may miss it |
A worked example
Illustrative example
Three rows for a customer support team lead advert
- Leads a team of eight advisers | Essential | Supervised five temporary staff during the winter peak | Partly: smaller team | 'lead and coach'
- Uses Zendesk or similar | Desirable | Two years on Freshdesk | No | 'helpdesk software'
- Reports weekly to operations manager | Implied | Wrote the weekly complaints summary for my manager | No | 'performance reporting'
The first row is a partial gap, not a disqualification: the evidence is real but smaller in scale, so it should be stated honestly rather than stretched.
Turning the sheet into decisions
Your best-evidenced essential requirements become the first bullets under your most recent role and the core of your cover letter. Desirable items you can evidence go next. Real gaps in essential requirements are worth a direct line, either explaining how you are closing them or deciding the role is not right yet.
Luceria's job-specific ATS check separates hard requirements from preferences in the same way, so you can compare your own reading with a structured check before you submit.
Common questions
Should I apply if I meet most but not all essential requirements?
It depends on the requirement. A missing licence or legal condition is usually decisive; a slightly smaller scale of experience often is not, if you explain it honestly.
Do I need to use the employer's exact words?
Use them where they truthfully describe your experience. They help a reader, and a search, connect your evidence to the requirement.
Put it into practice
See how Luceria helps with thisDrafted with AI assistance and checked against Luceria’s editorial standards. Examples are illustrative, not real people’s results. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.