Showcase Your Strengths
Navigating today’s job market requires more than simply submitting a resume and hoping for the best. Employers expect candidates to clearly demonstrate alignment not just with the technical requirements of a role, but with its purpose, culture, and long-term impact.
At UMGC, students and alumni are encouraged to take a strategic, evidence-based approach to their job search. A job description audit is a powerful tool for career success because it empowers you to understand what employers are looking for, evaluate how your experience aligns with their expectations, build a clear plan for growth, showcase your strengths, and target areas for improvement.
Why a Job Description Audit Matters
Before tailoring application materials, it’s essential to understand what the hiring manager values most. Job postings often contain subtle clues about the company’s priorities, culture, and long-term goals. A job description audit helps you:
- Break down the role’s core purpose.
- Highlight essential and preferred qualifications.
- Identify skill gaps and resume keywords.
- Prepare targeted examples for interviews.
- Build a personalized plan for development.
Following these steps will contribute to positioning yourself strategically.
1. Clarify the Role’s Purpose
Summarize the core purpose of the role in a few sentences. This step helps you understand:
- What is the company trying to achieve?
- How does the role contribute to these goals?
- How does your background connect to their mission?
- What are the required and preferred qualifications for this role?
Starting with a clear summary will help set the tone for the rest of your analysis.
2. Break Down Responsibilities and Qualifications
List your key responsibilities along with required and preferred qualifications. For each one, you can:
- Capture examples that show your experience.
- Identify tools or software you’ve used.
- Note where you may need additional training.
- Score your readiness on a 1–5 scale.
A clear, honest assessment gives you a roadmap for immediate resume customization and long-term skill-building.
Scoring Guide: Use this scale to evaluate your readiness and target development areas.
| Score | Description |
|---|---|
| 5 | Expert: Proven excellence and leadership in this area. |
| 4 | Proficient: Strong capability, could deepen or broaden scope. |
| 3 | Developing: Some experience, needs focused improvement. |
| 2 | Limited: Minimal exposure, requires additional learning. |
| 1 | None: No experience yet, but open to training or mentorship. |
3. Identify Skills, Values, and Traits the Employer Wants
Employers seek individuals who not only possess the required skills but also reflect the values and qualities emphasized in the job description. Watch for keywords, which can be identified using word clouds or job description analyzers. Keywords are essential to passing Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and showcasing that you match the qualifications, such as:
- Soft skills: Adaptability, teamwork, leadership, effective communication
- Hard skills: Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Data analysis, Tableau, or Power BI
- Industry-specific certifications: CompTIA A+, project management, Certified Risk Analyst (CRA)
- Industry-specific action verbs: Analyzed, streamlined, facilitated, launched
4. Demonstrate Alignment Through Evidence
Identify 3–5 examples that directly illustrate your strongest connection to the role. By mapping your experience directly to the job posting, you create targeted, persuasive career content with relevant:
- Resume bullet points
- Cover letter highlights
- LinkedIn achievements
- STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) interview responses
5. Turn Insight into Action with SMART Career Goals
Every UMGC student and alumni is encouraged to take ownership of their development. Convert your audit into concrete steps using SMART goals:
- Specific: Identify exactly what you’ll accomplish.
- Measurable: Determine what success looks like.
- Achievable: Set realistic expectations.
- Relevant: Connect actions to your long-term career path.
- Time-bound: Create clear deadlines.
Whether you’re strengthening your resume, expanding your network, or learning new technologies, this step ensures progress.
UMGC Supports Your Career Journey
A job description audit not only helps you standout in a crowd of other applicants, but also it helps you understand your value. Then, you know what to communicate confidently and which roles to pursue because they truly align with your goals. When you approach your job search with clarity and strategy, you're creating opportunities.
UMGC offers extensive tools to help you take full advantage of the insights from your job description audit:
- CareerQuest: Access job postings, resume tools, mock interviews, and employer connections.
- VMock: Leverage this self-service, AI-driven tool that offers instant feedback to improve your resume and optimize your LinkedIn profile.
- Steppingblocks: Use this data-driven tool to explore career paths, salary insights, and skills needed for your ideal role.
- Virtual career fairs and webinars: Check out opportunities to connect with employers across industries.
Using these resources alongside your job description audit template creates a powerful strategy to stand out in the job market and strengthen your resume.
