How to read a job ad

Job ad requirements: must haves and nice to haves

Most ads split the qualifications in two. Anything listed under requirements, or phrased as 'we are looking for someone who has' or 'you must have', is what the employer considers essential. Anything described as desirable, an advantage or 'ideally' makes you stronger, but rarely decides things on its own. In Norwegian ads you will often see the word 'krav' for requirements and 'fordel' for an advantage.

Not all requirements are equally strict. Formal requirements are absolute: authorisation as a nurse or doctor, a trade certificate or licence where the work requires it, the right class of driving licence or security clearance. Without these, you usually will not get any further. Other requirements are more flexible. 'Five years of experience' often means 'enough experience to work independently', and 'a degree in finance' can sometimes be outweighed by long, relevant experience, especially when the ad says 'or equivalent'.

Look at the order too. What comes first in the lists of duties and requirements is usually what matters most. If a word keeps coming up, such as 'customer contact' in both the duties and the requirements, it is a clear signal of what the job is really about.

What common phrases really mean

Many ads use the same phrases. Some are almost empty, others say a lot between the lines. Here are the most common ones, as they usually appear in English translation, and what they tend to mean:

• 'Independent': you will get little training and must work a lot out yourself. Fine if you are experienced, tough if you are new to the field.
• 'Fast paced' or 'busy days': a lot to do and tight deadlines. Ask in the interview what a busy week looks like.
• 'Flexible': can mean working outside normal hours or taking on tasks not listed in the ad. Ask what it means in practice.
• 'Varied working day': lots of different tasks, often in a small company where everyone does a bit of everything.
• 'Competitive terms': the salary is not in the ad. Find out what the job should pay with the salary check before the interview.
• 'Applications are processed on a rolling basis': the employer interviews before the deadline, and the job may be filled before it passes. Apply as early as you can.
• 'Deadline: as soon as possible': it is urgent. Apply within a few days.
• 'Good team player' and 'solution oriented': in almost every ad and mean little on their own, but have an example ready.
• 'The role can be adapted to the right candidate' or 'experience is an advantage but not a requirement': the employer is open to different profiles, including graduates and career changers.

Am I qualified? When to apply anyway

Many people do not apply because they cannot tick every single box. That is a shame, because the ad often describes a dream candidate who rarely exists. The employer hires the best of the people who actually apply.

A simple rule of thumb: if you meet the formal requirements and most of the rest, and can point to something equivalent for what is missing, you should apply. If you have used a different accounting system from the one in the ad, for example, it is reasonable to assume you will learn the new one quickly. Say so plainly in your application.

Hold back if you lack a formal requirement that cannot be replaced, or most of what is listed first. Your time is then better spent on jobs where you are stronger. Here is a quick check:

• Write each requirement on its own line.
• Mark each one as 'have', 'have something equivalent' or 'missing'.
• If you meet the formal requirements and most are 'have', apply.
• For anything marked 'equivalent', explain it with a concrete example in your application.

Find the keywords for your CV and cover letter

Many employers use an applicant tracking system that sorts applications, and the person reading often skims your CV in a short time. Both reward a CV that uses the same words as the ad.

Go through the ad and highlight the job title, tools and systems, specialist areas, certifications and qualities that keep coming up. Use the same words in your CV and cover letter wherever they match what you have actually done. If the ad says 'budget monitoring', your CV should not just say 'financial responsibility'. Never add skills you do not have. It will come out in the interview.

If the ad is in Norwegian, use the Norwegian terms in a Norwegian application. Read more about how to make an ATS friendly CV, and use the ATS score to see which keywords are missing from your CV.

Red flags in a job ad

Most ads are honest, but some are fake or describe a job that is worse than it looks. If in doubt, look the company up in the official Norwegian business register, check that the name, website and organisation number match, and consider calling the contact person. Be extra careful if you see one or more of these signs:

• No employer name, and no way of finding out who is behind the ad.
• Vague duties combined with promises of very high earnings in a short time.
• Commission only pay with no fixed basic salary. It is not necessarily illegal, but the risk is all yours.
• Being asked to pay for a course, equipment or registration before you can start.
• Requests for your national identity number, bank account or BankID early in the process, before you have a written offer. Never share your BankID or passwords with anyone.
• Contact that only happens through chat apps or from a private email address.
• Unpaid trial work. Work must be paid, including during a probation period. A probation period of up to six months is normal in Norway, but you are paid from day one.

Use the job ad to prepare for the interview

The ad is the best clue you will get about what the interview will cover. Every requirement and every main duty is a possible question. If it says 'you have experience with demanding customers', you can almost count on being asked to describe a time you dealt with a difficult customer.

Make a list of the five most important requirements and find one concrete example for each. Describe the situation, what you did and what the result was. Also turn anything unclear in the ad into questions for the employer, such as what 'flexible' means in practice. You will find more good questions to ask the employer, and our guide to preparing for a job interview takes you through the rest.

Check how well you match the job ad

Comparing your CV with a long ad point by point takes time. With Jobbmatch in Selja you paste in the ad and get a score from 0 to 100 for how well your CV fits, with an overview of the requirements you meet and what is missing. You can then see quickly whether the job is worth an application, and what you should bring forward. Jobbmatch is part of Pro.

However you do it, use the ad as a checklist right to the end. Read it one last time before you send, and ask yourself whether a reader with only a few seconds to spare would see that you have what is at the top of the requirements.