Job descriptions advertise. They emphasise exciting work and soften routine work, and they hide difficulty behind phrases like fast-paced environment or wear many hats. Reading well means noticing requirements, verbs, and omissions together. What the description repeats matters. What it never mentions matters just as much.
Reading between the lines
- Count the required skills versus the preferred ones. A long required list for a junior role signals unrealistic expectations.
- Note the verbs: build and own suggest creation, while maintain and support suggest upkeep. Both are fine, but they are different jobs.
- Watch for missing basics: no mention of team size, shift, or location usually means an answer you will not like.
- Compare the title with the duties. A grand title with routine duties is a warning, not a promotion.
Use the interview to ask about everything the description skipped. The answers there matter more than the posting.