Job Description Review & Skills Match Worksheet (PDF)

A structured reading method to separate must-haves, preferences, evidence, and unknowns in a job posting before tailoring an application.

Inside the guide

This original five-page PDF walks through a practical sequence: 1) Save the posting and note its date, role, location, and source. 2) Sort requirements into explicit essentials, preferences, responsibilities, and unclear language. 3) For each essential, find one truthful example from your experience or mark it as a gap. 4) Separate teachable gaps from hard constraints such as location, schedule, or required credential. 5) Decide whether to apply, research further, or pass – and record why.

Worked example

A posting asks for stakeholder communication, a degree, and a named software tool. Jo has documented client updates and the degree, but not the tool. She checks whether it is truly required or can be learned, then decides based on the full role rather than a keyword count.

Includes eight original prompts for applying the process to your own circumstances. Illustrative content only: verify claims, dates, credentials, and figures before using them with an employer or adviser.

Digital product: one PDF file, provided for download after completed purchase. No physical item ships. Employment outcomes are not guaranteed. Applicable statutory consumer rights are unaffected.