The Importance of Reading the Job Description Before an Interview

Although the act of reviewing the description for a job may seem mundane, or possibly even irrelevant to your career goals, it’s a vital and effective step in the process of successfully securing a position. Before your next interview, it’s essential to look over the information provided to you about the job and tailor your interview preparation and approach to it. In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of job descriptions, how to read these specific descriptions, how to compare your resume to a job description, and the using the job description to prepare for your interview.

Why Job Descriptions Are Important

Job criteria and descriptions aid both applicants and employers in having a definitive understanding of the expectations for a person in a specific position. These criteria and descriptions help the employer determine whether a given candidate is suitable for the role, and vice versa helps a candidate determine if the organization is a good match for their career ambitions. For clarity and the best possible match, it’s vital that a candidate not only reads and adapts their interview techniques based on the job description, but the employer carefully develops and matches the description to their needs and desires for an employee.

If an employer doesn’t carefully develop their description, they may have an abundance of unsuitable candidates applying or miss out on some of the best candidates out there. A well-developed description aids potential candidates in having proper clarity on what the employer desires in a candidate regarding education and general background and capabilities. With clarity on employee expectations and ideal candidate qualities, both parties can interview more effectively, avoid issues of legality, and come to a better understanding of how a working relationship might pan out. 

How to Read a Job Description

Once you understand why job descriptions are important for all parties involved, you can begin reading them with increased focus and purpose. It’s equally vital to know how to read a job description so you can adapt your professional content and efforts to achieve your career goals more quickly. If you rapidly scan over the description content provided, you can easily miss some vital information that can affect your suitability for a role or your desire to pursue it. A cursory glance can also keep you from securing the right position or prolonging your search. It’s essential that you meaningfully comprehend the distinct sections and what they mean for you.

Obtaining pertinent information and using it productively can increase your odds of receiving interviews, decrease your number of necessary applications, and help you prepare for interviews. By thoroughly evaluating a description, you also ensure that you can make informed decisions if the job appears to be a good fit for you. When reading, make sure you understand how the job title matches your interests and expertise, what the employer needs from applicants, and the expectations for someone taking on the role. Look for the company’s culture, values, and goals. Know the schedule, employment type, job location, benefits, and salary if provided.

Comparing Your Resume to a Job Description

It’s essential to not only have a quality resume that highlights your skills and attributes for potential employers, but to tailor your resume so that it reflects the target company’s criteria. Your resume and cover letter should reflect or answer what an employer outlines in their job posting. Adjusting your application to hit on the key points of their posting will help them more easily understand your suitability for the role. If suitability is difficult to gauge, it can affect your chances of acceptance.

A recruiter or hiring manager will not pay attention to a generic resume that does not address the specific experience and skills required of applicants. Make sure your resume reasonably reflects the requirements listed in the description, including education and background. Match up the job description and resume keywords. Reference desired applicant skills in your resume. Matching your points to the points of a job description can also help you remove irrelevant information, aiding the goals of both parties. Express relevant accomplishments and duties in current and previous jobs. Be sure to highlight any similar goals and values in any cover letter.

The Importance of Reading the Job Description

Amongst the most impactful means of securing the right position for yourself is reading the job description before an interview. Reading the provided description gives you the opportunity to decide your suitability for the posted role and whether or not you wish to continue pursuing it or put your efforts toward another job. Meaningfully obtaining the pertinent data from a job description also allows you to cater your own provided content so the employer sees you as a top contender. 

As for your interview, reading the job description prior to this opportunity is crucial and can ultimately make sure you are fully prepared to show yourself in the best light. You can easily rely on the job description as you prepare for an interview. First, look through the job description and reflect on what skills or experiences you have that match the language used. From there, prepare and develop anecdotes and examples of times you have used those skills successfully in the workplace. When developing these stories, don’t forget the STAR method. In the STAR method, you touch upon the Situation, Task, Action, and Result of your experiences.Once you have completed this task, take your preparation to the next level by constructing questions for your interview. These questions should directly relate to the job description. Additionally, they should demonstrate your experience with similar responsibilities. 

Preparing Before an Interview

You want the best chance of securing the right role for you while avoiding jumping into the wrong role for your personal and professional goals. Losing out on the right position for you or wasting time in the wrong position can decrease your chances of achieving goals. It can also prolong and complicate your job search efforts. Before your next interview, be sure that you properly read the provided material, do your research into the organization, and reflect the job description in your resume and any cover letter. You will continue efforts more prepared, inform future education and career choices, help create interview questions, and reduce your risk of rejection. For more resume and interview assistance, contact Brightwing today.