When going through the long and tedious process of looking through jobs, you may find one that you're genuinely interested in. It's in your desired field, has a decent salary and seems like something you could do.
However, there are also signs out there that perhaps the job is not worth applying for due to a number of reasons, despite how interested you are in the role. But what are these signs, exactly?
1) You don't meet the requirements
Most job descriptions nowadays separate their experience and skill sets into two categories - essential and preferred. If a certain skill or number of experience is in the essential category, then they should not be ignored.
For example, let's say the job you are applying for says five years of experience is essential, but you only have one. If that's the case, then there's not much chance of you being contacted.
Another example, is a "desired" skill, such as Photoshop. While you may not have that skill yourself, you shouldn't let that put you off from applying. After all, desired skills and experience only serve as a nice little add-on for a candidate, not what's completely expected of you.
Unfortunately, if you find you don't meet the essential requirements, then it's not likely you're going to hear back from the employer anytime soon.
2) You don't fit in with the culture
Even if you feel you have the right skills and experience, culture fit is another important factor when it comes to applying for a job. For example, you may be good at the job in question, but tend to strive working on your own and prefer not to work with others. Unfortunately, this wouldn't work well with a role that involves a lot of teamwork and face-to-face communication.
Nowadays, employers always take culture fit into account, no matter how good you may be at the job itself.
3) Travelling issues
If the job is outside your area, then of course commuting is possible. However, what you should take into consideration is how long that commute might be, and whether you'll be able to handle it on a day-to-day basis. If you find that the commute will be too long or tiring, then it may not be worth applying. There'd be little point if you don't feel it's worth the long hours spent travelling.
4) The company has a bad reputation
Obviously, this one all comes down to choice. Sure, you may meet the requirements and feel as though you'd be a good fit in the team, but company reputation is something else to consider. Sites such as Indeed and Glassdoor hold reviews from current and past employees for a company, both good and bad.
If you find the company you're applying for has a lot of negative reviews from employees (bad environment, communication, management, etc.) then it may be worth reconsidering your application. That's not to say for definite that the company is a bad one, but always look out for what other people are saying.
Before applying, always take in these points and then decide whether you should apply for the job or not. It may be a shame when there's a job that seems right up your street but is unfortunately too far away or expects certain skills or experience you don't have. But don't despair - there's always other opportunites out there.