How to match your resume to a job description

Read the job description like a recruiter

Split the requirements into three lists: must-have skills (repeated, or listed under "requirements"), nice-to-have skills (marked "preferred" or "bonus"), and context (team, product, scale). Recruiters screen hardest on the first list.

Show evidence, not keywords

Listing a skill is weak; showing it is strong. For each must-have skill, add one bullet with what you did, how, and the result: "Built a React component library used by 4 product teams, cutting new-page build time by half." Use the job's own words where they are accurate for you.

Decide whether a gap matters

• Missing a nice-to-have: apply.
• Missing one must-have you can learn quickly and have adjacent experience for: apply, and address it in a line on your resume or cover note.
• Missing several must-haves: build them first, or look for a more junior version of the role.

Never claim skills you do not have

Interviews test the skills you list. An honest resume that clearly shows your strongest evidence beats a keyword-stuffed one that falls apart in the first technical round.

Use Job Match to see your gaps instantly

On hiARed, sign in and open any job to see your Job Match: which required skills your profile and active resume already show, which are missing, and how your experience fits the range. It only uses what you have listed; it never invents skills.

Frequently asked questions