What to Look For: Qualifications, Values, & Red Flags

When looking at a job posting, it’s important to understand what type of candidate they are hoping to hire in order to see if you will be a good fit for the position. On some job postings, they will list their qualifications under different headings: Required, Minimum, or Preferred.

Required Qualifications, or Minimum Qualifications, are the qualities, skills, or experiences that the employer hopes you will possess when applying. If you do not meet 100% of the qualifications, you absolutely can still apply. Match your resume and application to these qualifications as much as possible, but do not feel like you need to have all of the stated skills in order to apply.
Note: If a minimum requirement is a degree type, and they say “or related field,” there is flexibility in the type of degree you hold. It’s okay to apply if your major is not listed.

Preferred Qualifications are the qualities, skills or experiences that their ideal job candidate would have. These will likely align with the job duties required for the position or be shaped by the previous employees who have held that position. You do not need to fit all of these qualifications for a position in order to apply. However, when preparing your materials (resume, cover letter, etc.), try to focus on ways that you have experience in that area or how you have the skills/qualities necessary to learn the job duties.

Assessing Company Values

Company values are the actions and behaviors companies encourage. They impact the type of work and the environment they foster for their employees. It’s important to have an understanding of a company’s values so that you can determine if the position will be a good fit for you.

“Pink Flags” for Workplace Safety

When looking for jobs, there are a few things that you should be mindful of. These things are not necessarily “red flags,” or things that show an environment is unsafe and may be a poor fit. However, they may indicate some possible workplace practices that may or may not be comfortable to you. Thus, they are “pink flags” to just be aware of as you look for positions. It is up to you to determine which items are “red” and which are “pink” for yourself. Some potential pink flags are:

• No flexibility built into the job description
• Employers who don’t have easy access to accommodations in the job application process
• Toxic positivity or an attitude of “positive vibes only”
• Clichéd, sometimes ableist requirements such as “thrives in a busy environment” or “goes above and beyond”
• A lack of diversity in their leadership positions
• Use of binary-enforcing gendered language
• Themes of recurring issues in job reviews on third-party websites like Glassdoor (e.g. lack of support, rigid environment)

Avoiding Job Scams

Job scams are becoming increasingly common and increasingly complex. See this article for helpful tips on how to avoid job scams.