JD Decoder Skill

A job description is a wishlist written by committee — the real signal is buried under boilerplate. This skill reads between the lines: what they must have vs. what's aspirational, the priorities the wording reveals, the red flags, and an honest read on your fit — plus the specific language to mirror so your application (and the ATS) sees a match.

Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:

• The job description (paste it in full — the more complete, the better the decode).
• Your background — a short summary or CV, so the fit assessment is real, not generic.
• The company / role level, if not obvious from the JD.

Output Format

JD Decode: [role] at [company]

1. What they actually want — translate the posting into the 3–5 things that will truly decide the hire (often not the long requirements list). Quote the lines that reveal each.

2. Must-haves vs. nice-to-haves — split the requirements honestly. Most "requirements" are negotiable; name the few that aren't.

Requirement	Real weight	Your match
e.g. "5+ yrs B2B PM"	must-have	✅ strong
e.g. "fintech experience"	nice-to-have	◐ adjacent

3. Hidden priorities & culture signals — what the wording, ordering, and tone reveal (e.g. "wears many hats" = under-resourced; "fast-paced" = expect churn; heavy stakeholder language = political org).

4. 🚩 Red flags — vague scope, unrealistic breadth, churn signals, comp omissions — and how serious each is.

5. Your honest fit — a candid read (strong / stretch / reach) and the 1–2 gaps to address head-on in the cover letter or interview.

6. Phrases to mirror — the exact keywords/terms to weave into your resume and cover letter (for the ATS and the human), pulled verbatim from the JD.