Is this job worth applying to? A 5-minute check

Most job applications take two or three hours when you do them properly. Most of them go nowhere, and not because the résumé was weak. The job was never a fit. Here is a check you can run in five minutes, before you open a blank document.

1. Read the must-haves as a gate, not a list

Every posting mixes two kinds of lines: the things the team will not hire without, and the things they would like. The first kind is usually marked "required", "must", "minimum" or sits at the top of the list. Treat those as a yes or no question. If you miss a must-have, your application is a long shot no matter how good the rest is.

A quick way to do it: copy the requirements into a note and put one of three words next to each line. Have, partial, or gap. If a must-have says gap, stop and think before you continue.

2. Check the location before anything else

Remote, hybrid or on-site is a fact, not a preference you can argue in the cover letter. If the job is on-site in a city you will not move to, it is closed to you today. That sounds obvious, and it is the single most common reason a strong application gets no answer. Check it first, so a great title does not pull you into a job you cannot take.

3. Match the level, honestly

Look at the years of experience, the scope (one product, one team, one region) and the words that signal level: "lead", "senior", "own", "define". If the posting is one level above where you are, you can still apply, but you should know it, and your application should show the one or two things that prove you are ready. If it is two levels above, your time is better spent elsewhere.

4. Count the partials

Partials are the lines where you have done something close but not the exact thing. A few partials are normal. Many partials mean you will be explaining instead of proving. A good rule: if more than a third of the requirements are partials or gaps, the job is a stretch. Stretch jobs are fine when you have time; they are a bad use of an evening when you do not.

5. Ask what you would say in the first interview

Pick the three requirements the team cares about most and say, out loud, what you did that proves each one. If a real example comes to mind for all three, apply. If you are reaching for one of them, that is the gap to close before you send anything, or the sign that this is not the job.

A checklist you can keep

• Every must-have is a have.
• The location and work mode are open to you.
• The level is yours, or one above with proof.
• Fewer than a third of the lines are partials or gaps.
• You have a real example for the three requirements that matter most.

If you want this done for you

Applause runs this check on the posting itself. The Chrome side panel scores your fit on LinkedIn, Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, Workday and most careers pages, marks each requirement as have, partial or gap, counts must-haves double, and treats location as a yes or no. It reads from what your profile and Your story actually show, not from keywords. It takes about a second per posting, and it is free to start. See the extension, or check a résumé against any job without an account.

Either way, run the check. The jobs worth your time are the ones that pass it.