How to Analyze A Job Description

How to Analyze A Job Description

A job description is more than a list of tasks, it's a roadmap for deciding whether a position fits your interests and for tailoring your application.

Explore the example below to learn what different sections of a job posting can tell you and how to use that information when preparing your resume, cover letter, and interview.

Overview Responsibilities Qualifications Keywords

Overview

Help Wanted: Business Intern

CB Enterprises, named a "Best Place to Work" in Lincoln two years in a row, is seeking energetic and ambitious University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business students for our Business Internship. At CB Enterprises, we embrace the work hard/play hard mentality, working as a team to meet our clients' needs while also building a collegial work environment. This paid internship will enhance your knowledge of management and leadership by providing you with mentorship from upper-level managers and opportunities to participate in management training workshops. You will have the opportunities to gain experience training new employees, develop a solid understanding of employee evaluation process, and enhance your communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills. Interns will work on high-level projects in collaboration with an assigned mid-level manager mentor as well as interact directly with our entry-level staff. Potential for successful interns to convert to a full-time hire. All business majors are encouraged to apply.

Minimum Qualifications:
Working toward a bachelor's degree
Communication skills | Problem solving skills | Analytical minded | Team player | Adaptable

Preferred Qualifications:
Strong organizational skills | Attention to detail | Creativity and the ability to generate innovative ideas

Overview Insights

Includes a description about the employer and a few sentences about the role to entice the reader.

What You're Looking At

The overview introduces both the employer and the position. It often describes the organization's mission, culture, values, and what makes the opportunity appealing.

Why It Matters

This section helps you determine whether the organization aligns with what you're looking for—not just whether you can do the work.

Pay attention to:

  • Company culture 
  • Mission and values 
  • Industry 
  • Growth opportunities 
  • What excites them about the role 

What You Should Do

  • Decide if the organization fits your interests and career goals.
  • Use language from this section when writing your cover letter or preparing interview answers about why you're interested in the company.

Responsibilities

Help Wanted: Business Intern

CB Enterprises, named a "Best Place to Work" in Lincoln two years in a row, is seeking energetic and ambitious University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business students for our Business Internship. At CB Enterprises, we embrace the work hard/play hard mentality, working as a team to meet our clients' needs while also building a collegial work environment. This paid internship will enhance your knowledge of management and leadership by providing you with mentorship from upper-level managers and opportunities to participate in management training workshops. You will have the opportunities to gain experience training new employees, develop a solid understanding of employee evaluation process, and enhance your communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills. Interns will work on high-level projects in collaboration with an assigned mid-level manager mentor as well as interact directly with our entry-level staff. Potential for successful interns to convert to a full-time hire. All business majors are encouraged to apply.

Minimum Qualifications:
Working toward a bachelor's degree
Communication skills | Problem solving skills | Analytical minded | Team player | Adaptable

Preferred Qualifications:
Strong organizational skills | Attention to detail | Creativity and the ability to generate innovative ideas

Responsibilities Insights

You may or may not have experience with the responsibilities listed, and that is okay.

What You're Looking At

Responsibilities describe what you'll actually do in the role.

Why It Matters

Don't assume you need experience performing every responsibility.

Instead, ask yourself:

  • Have I done something similar? 
  • Have I demonstrated these skills in another setting? 
  • Would I enjoy this type of work? 

Many internship responsibilities are intentionally designed for students who are still learning.

What You Should Do

  • Highlight responsibilities you've done before.
  • Use examples of those experiences in your resume and cover letter.
  • Think about stories you can share during interviews.

Qualifications

Help Wanted: Business Intern

CB Enterprises, named a "Best Place to Work" in Lincoln two years in a row, is seeking energetic and ambitious University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business students for our Business Internship. At CB Enterprises, we embrace the work hard/play hard mentality, working as a team to meet our clients' needs while also building a collegial work environment. This paid internship will enhance your knowledge of management and leadership by providing you with mentorship from upper-level managers and opportunities to participate in management training workshops. You will have the opportunities to gain experience training new employees, develop a solid understanding of employee evaluation process, and enhance your communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills. Interns will work on high-level projects in collaboration with an assigned mid-level manager mentor as well as interact directly with our entry-level staff. Potential for successful interns to convert to a full-time hire. All business majors are encouraged to apply.

Minimum Qualifications:
Working toward a bachelor's degree
Communication skills | Problem solving skills | Analytical minded | Team player | Adaptable

Preferred Qualifications:
Strong organizational skills | Attention to detail | Creativity and the ability to generate innovative ideas

Qualification Insights

As a general guideline, if you meet around 70% of what an employer is seeking, especially the core qualifications, the opportunity may still be worth pursuing.

What You're Looking At

This section outlines the background, skills, and experiences the employer is seeking. Different employers organize this information differently, but it typically falls into one of three categories.

TypeWhat it MeansHow to Interpret It
Required (or Minimum) Qualifications The core requirements needed to be considered for the role. Focus on whether you meet most of these qualifications. Don't assume you need to meet every single one exactly.
General Qualifications Skills, abilities, or experiences the employer values, often mixed into the job description. Think about examples from classes, work, student organizations, or volunteer experiences that demonstrate these skills.
Preferred Qualifications Additional experiences or skills that would strengthen an application but usually aren't required. Great if you have them, but you can still apply even if you don’t have every preferred qualification.

Why It Matters

Few candidates meet every qualification exactly. Focus on whether you satisfy most of the core requirements and have evidence that you can succeed in the role.

Common qualifications include:

  • Major or degree 
  • GPA requirements 
  • Technical skills 
  • Transferable skills 
  • Work authorization 
  • Availability 

What You Should Do

  • Compare your experiences to the qualifications.
  • Highlight the strongest matches on your résumé and cover letter.
  • Identify any gaps you can address through coursework, projects, campus involvement, or internships.
  • Don't automatically eliminate yourself because you aren't a perfect match.

Keywords

Help Wanted: Business Intern

CB Enterprises, named a "Best Place to Work" in Lincoln two years in a row, is seeking energetic and ambitious University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business students for our Business Internship. At CB Enterprises, we embrace the work hard/play hard mentality, working as a team to meet our clients' needs while also building a collegial work environment. This paid internship will enhance your knowledge of management and leadership by providing you with mentorship from upper-level managers and opportunities to participate in management training workshops. You will have the opportunities to gain experience training new employees, develop a solid understanding of employee evaluation process, and enhance your communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills. Interns will work on high-level projects in collaboration with an assigned mid-level manager mentor as well as interact directly with our entry-level staff. Potential for successful interns to convert to a full-time hire. All business majors are encouraged to apply.

Minimum Qualifications:
Working toward a bachelor's degree
Communication skills | Problem solving skills | Analytical minded | Team player | Adaptable

Preferred Qualifications:
Strong organizational skills | Attention to detail | Creativity and the ability to generate innovative ideas

Keywords Insights

Key words can help you get an idea of what the employer is looking for - try going through and highlighting them to make tailoring your resume easier.

What You're Looking At

Keywords are words or phrases that appear repeatedly throughout the job description.

Examples include:

  • Project management 
  • Customer service 
  • Financial analysis 
  • Teamwork  
  • Leadership  
  • Excel 
  • Data visualization 

Why They Matter

Keywords reveal:

  • Skills the employer values 
  • Work you'll be doing 
  • Language recruiters may search for 
  • Terms you should incorporate naturally into your application 

What You Should Do

  • Highlight repeated words.
  • Add relevant keywords to your resume when they honestly describe your experience.
  • Expect interview questions related to these skills.

AI Tip

AI tools can quickly identify frequently used skills, responsibilities, and keywords in a job description. Use AI to organize information, but always review the results yourself. AI may overlook context or overemphasize words that aren't actually the employer's priorities

Go Beyond the Job Description

The job posting tells you about the position, but you also need to research the employer.

Research the organization’s:

  • Mission and values 
  • Industry  
  • Products or services 
  • Locations  
  • Company size 
  • Recent news/publications 
  • Growth initiatives 
  • Competitors 

Why It Matters

Employer research helps you:

  • Decide if you'd enjoy working there.
  • Write stronger application materials.
  • Ask thoughtful interview questions.
  • Explain why you're interested in the organization.

Try It Yourself

Open a real internship or job posting and ask yourself:

  • What excites me about this role? 
  • Which responsibilities match my experiences? 
  • Which qualifications do I already meet? 
  • Which skills should I emphasize in my resume? 
  • What do I want to learn more about the employer?

Ready for the Next Step?

Now that you've identified the employer's priorities, learn how to tailor your résumé and cover letter using those keywords in the Tailoring Your Application Materials resource.