Leggere e interpretare correttamente gli annunci di lavoro

How can I understand if I can be the right person?

The chance of succeeding well in a selection process starts from the job advertisement. And this is where we can encounter the first (and very common) mistake: the lightness with which it is interpreted. Here, then, is our advice: try to understand the needs behind the list of required skills, try to interpret the company's possible expectations and do a self-assessment to establish whether you can match the sought profile.

Where do I start?

The position

The position can sometimes be difficult to understand, since not all companies define similar tasks in the same way. You may have experience in the role, but you do not see yourself reflected in the Job Title of the advert. From the job title, however, you can draw important information about the organisation of the company and its structure. Start from that to find out about the roles in the company and the areas in which your background could be useful.

The requirements

As addressed in our Career Tip "The false myths of selection", recruiters do not necessarily expect to find all the characteristics detailed in the advertisement in candidates. However, there are definitely priority requirements and secondary requirements. By matching the requirements and the tasks that the resource will cover, it will be easier to understand which characteristics are necessary to fill the role. Furthermore, the key tasks and characteristics usually appear immediately at the top, so that they are not lost when reading the Job Description.

Hard and Soft Skills

Hard Skills are quickly verifiable skills: studies, languages known, technical skills, IT knowledge, etc. They are essential for a first evaluation, but are not sufficient. Soft Skills complement Hard Skills, defining the attitudinal profile, personal characteristics and predispositions that the "ideal" person should have to fit well with the duties, the team and the work environment. Don't underestimate them when you approach a job advert, because these could be your winning factors during the interview.

The duties

The description of the activities that the resource will cover provides valuable information about the organisational structure, the level of responsibility, the interlocutors and the context in which you may have to operate, and could already give you an indication of possible developments and paths of growth.

What do I do once I have interpreted everything behind the few lines of an ad?

If you think you can meet the fundamental requirements of the position sought, and you consider the opportunity and the company to be of interest to you, the second important phase of the process begins here: structuring a targeted and functional CV. Start from the analysis you have carried out and from the terms used in the advert to draw attention to your CV and guide recruiters' reading towards what makes your profile match the search.