# Decode a job ad: real requirements, red flags and fit

> Reads a job posting like a recruiter: what the job really is, which requirements are screened for, the red flags worth asking about, and whether to apply.

- **Author:** [Lucas Oliveira (@lucas_oliveira)](https://promptabide.com/lucas_oliveira)
- **Tested on:** Claude · Opus 5.5
- **You fill in:** `job_posting`, `my_situation`
- **Published:** 2026-09-18
- **Updated:** 2026-09-24
- **Tags:** `job-search`, `career`, `decision-making`
- **Keywords:** job posting red flags, how to read a job description, should i apply for this job, job ad requirements vs nice to have, questions to ask a recruiter about the role
- **Views:** 937
- **Likes:** 39

**Best for:** Job seekers deciding whether an application is worth their time, especially for vague postings or roles that seem to bundle several jobs into one.

## Prompt

```
Decode this job posting for me. I want to know what the job really is, what they will actually screen for, and whether anything should worry me.

Job posting:
{{job_posting}}

My situation (for the fit check): {{my_situation}}

Give me:
1. The job in plain English: 3 sentences on what I'd do day to day and who I'd report to. Mark anything inferred as (inferred).
2. Real requirements vs. wish list: sort every listed requirement into "screened for", "nice to have" and "boilerplate". Explain each call using the wording that gave it away.
3. Signals: red flags, yellow flags and green flags (e.g. scope that doesn't match the title, vague pay, "we're a family", one person doing three jobs). Quote the line for each. Don't manufacture flags if the posting is fine.
4. Five questions to ask the recruiter that would confirm or clear the biggest flags.
5. Fit check against my situation: apply / apply with a caveat / skip, with one sentence of reasoning.

Only use what's in the posting, and say when you can't tell.
```

## Variables

- `{{job_posting}}` — The full text of the job ad. (e.g. Marketing Coordinator - Growth-stage DTC skincare brand (Austin, TX, onsite)...)
- `{{my_situation}}` — Your relevant experience, gaps, location needs and minimum pay. (e.g. 2 years as a social media coordinator; never run paid ads; need at least $55k)

## Example input

```
job_posting: Marketing Coordinator - Growth-stage DTC skincare brand (Austin, TX, onsite 5 days). We're a fast-paced family looking for a rockstar who wears many hats! You'll own our social media (TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest), manage influencer partnerships, write all email campaigns, run paid ads on Meta and Google, coordinate photoshoots, and support the founder with special projects. Requirements: Bachelor's degree; 1-2 years experience; expert in Klaviyo, Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, Canva, CapCut, Shopify; must be available evenings and weekends for launches. Competitive salary DOE. Unlimited PTO.

my_situation: 2 years as a social media coordinator at an agency. Strong on TikTok and Instagram, Canva and CapCut; some Klaviyo; I've never run paid ads. I want to stay in Austin and need at least $55k.
```

## Output

*Produced by Claude · Opus 5.5.*

```
**1. The job in plain English**
You'd be the brand's only hands-on marketer: making and posting content for three social channels, running influencer deals, writing every email, and running paid ads, plus helping on shoots and whatever the founder needs that week. You'd most likely report straight to the founder (inferred: no marketing manager is mentioned). Launch periods will spill into evenings and weekends; the posting says so.

**2. Requirements sorted**
- **Screened for:** social media on TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest ("own" and listed first); Canva and CapCut (they need content made in-house); Klaviyo ("write all email campaigns" means weekly use); evening and weekend availability ("must be available" is a hard condition).
- **Nice to have, despite the wording:** "expert" in Meta Ads Manager and Google Ads. Almost nobody with 1-2 years is expert in six tools, so they'll likely accept someone willing to learn. Shopify is probably basic admin.
- **Boilerplate:** Bachelor's degree and "1-2 years experience". Small brands often flex on both for a strong portfolio (inferred).

**3. Signals**
- **Red:** "own our social media... manage influencer partnerships, write all email campaigns, run paid ads" is three or four jobs under a coordinator title.
- **Red:** "Competitive salary DOE" gives no number, so you can't tell if it meets your $55k floor.
- **Yellow:** "must be available evenings and weekends for launches" with nothing about time off in return.
- **Yellow:** "fast-paced family" and "rockstar who wears many hats" often mean blurry boundaries; not proof on their own.
- **Yellow:** "Unlimited PTO" on a tiny team; ask how much people actually take.
- **Green:** a clear channel and tool list, so they know how they work. And real ownership: you'd get hands-on experience across the whole funnel fast.

**4. Questions for the recruiter**
1. What's the salary range for this role?
2. Who would I report to, and who else works on marketing?
3. What's the monthly paid ads budget, and who runs it today?
4. How often are launches, and how are evening and weekend hours made up?
5. On average, how many days off did the team take last year?

**5. Fit check: apply with a caveat.**
Your social, Canva, CapCut and Klaviyo experience covers the core of this job and paid ads is learnable, but ask about salary on the first call, and pass if it's under $55k or if evenings and weekends turn out to be routine rather than launch-only.
```

## Why it works

Sorting requirements into **screened for / nice to have / boilerplate**, with the wording that gave each away, teaches you to read postings yourself, not just trust a verdict. Asking to **quote the line for every flag** keeps the analysis tied to the text, and **"don't manufacture flags if the posting is fine"** counters the model's tendency to find something wrong with everything.

The **recruiter questions** turn suspicion into something you can check in a 15-minute call, and the **three-way fit verdict** (apply / caveat / skip) forces a decision rather than a pros-and-cons list.

## When not to use it

A posting is a sales document written by one person, often not the hiring manager, so the model can only read what's on the page. It can't check the company's reputation, finances or reviews; do that separately. Don't skip a role you really want just because the ad is badly written.

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