Job Description Requirements Examples: What to Include and What to Leave Out
Requirements are the minimum qualifications someone needs to perform the job effectively. They are the hardest filter in your job description — every requirement you add reduces your applicant pool. Writing effective requirements means being honest about what is truly mandatory and moving everything else to preferences. This guide shows examples across role types and explains the reasoning behind each decision.
All resources Job Description Requirements Examples
The difference between requirements and preferences
Requirements are non-negotiable. If a candidate does not have these qualifications, they cannot do the job effectively. Preferences are differentiators — they strengthen a candidacy but are not dealbreakers. The most common mistake in job descriptions is listing too many requirements. Research shows that women and underrepresented candidates are significantly less likely to apply unless they meet 100% of listed requirements, while men apply at around 60%. By listing 15 requirements, you are filtering for overconfidence, not competence.
Software engineering requirements examples
Software engineering roles benefit from specific technical requirements. List the languages, frameworks, and tools that are used daily, not every technology the team has ever touched. Candidates who use the core stack daily can learn adjacent tools quickly.
- Required: “3+ years of production Python experience” (not “proficiency in Python”)
- Required: “Experience designing REST APIs serving 10K+ daily requests”
- Required: “Working knowledge of PostgreSQL or equivalent relational database”
- Preferred: “Experience with Kubernetes and containerized deployments”
- Preferred: “Familiarity with Terraform or infrastructure-as-code tools”
Marketing and sales requirements examples
Marketing and sales roles should specify the channels, tools, and metrics that define success. Avoid vague requirements like “proven track record” — describe what that track record looks like in concrete terms.
- Required: “2+ years managing paid campaigns across Google Ads and LinkedIn”
- Required: “Experience with marketing automation platforms (HubSpot, Marketo, or equivalent)”
- Required: “Ability to analyze campaign performance using Google Analytics”
- Preferred: “Experience with Salesforce CRM”
- Preferred: “SQL or data analysis skills for custom reporting”
How to write requirements that do not filter out good candidates
Effective requirements are specific, honest, and minimal. They describe what the person must be able to do on day one, not every possible skill they might eventually need. Ask yourself: Could someone learn this in the first month? If yes, it is not a requirement. Could a strong candidate succeed without this? If yes, move it to preferred.
- Use specific experience levels (years, scale, complexity) rather than vague terms
- Describe the skill, not the pedigree (avoid specifying degree or company names)
- Limit to 5-7 truly mandatory qualifications
- Distinguish “must have on day one” from “will learn here”
- Review requirements against what the person actually does daily
Requirements that should be preferences instead
These are commonly listed as requirements but are better suited as preferences. Moving them to preferences expands your talent pool without lowering your standards.
- Specific degree (unless legally required for the role)
- Specific years of experience (describe the complexity instead)
- Familiarity with a specific tool (if alternatives are acceptable)
- Industry experience (transferable skills often matter more)
- Certifications that can be obtained after hiring
Related resources
Related job descriptions
Frequently asked questions
How many requirements should I list?
Keep it to 5-7 truly mandatory qualifications. Every additional requirement reduces your applicant pool, often unnecessarily. If you have more than 7 requirements, review each one and ask: Could someone learn this in the first month? If yes, move it to preferred.
Should I list a degree as a requirement?
Only if the degree is legally required for the role (e.g., certain licensed professions) or genuinely necessary for the work. In most cases, a degree is a proxy for skills that can be demonstrated through experience, projects, or other credentials. Listing it as preferred rather than required expands your talent pool significantly.
What if I reduce requirements and get too many applicants?
That is a better problem to have than getting too few. You can screen more effectively with a larger pool, and you are more likely to find exceptional candidates who would have self-selected out of an overly restrictive list. If volume is a concern, tighten your requirements for specific, hard-to-learn skills rather than broad experience levels.
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