What it is
The Entry Bar Check is an automatic, rule-based reading of the job ad’s text. A fixed set of rules reads the requirements the ad states and sorts them. No editor has reviewed the checks yet, so each one is labelled “Automatic check, editor review pending”. Treat it as a quick guide and read the full ad before you apply.
The four levels
| Level | Label | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low | The ad states its requirements, and no must-have asks for a college degree, a certification, or prior experience. |
| 2 | Cert required | A must-have asks for a certification you hold when you apply, such as CompTIA A+. A cert you may earn after starting (“within 90 days”) doesn’t count. |
| 3 | Experience required | A must-have asks for experience for a stated time (even a few months), for prior IT work such as help desk experience, or for a degree “or equivalent experience”. |
| 4 | Degree required | A must-have asks for a college degree, such as an associate’s or bachelor’s, with no alternative. A high school diploma or GED does not count. |
The level comes from the hardest must-have: a degree outranks experience, and experience outranks a certification. A degree listed as “preferred” does not make a listing level 4. Other must-haves, such as a driver’s license or shift availability, appear in the must-have list but don’t change the level.
Not fully stated
Many feeds send only the first part of an ad, and some ads don’t list requirements at all. When the text we have is cut off or states no requirements, the check can’t rule out a harder must-have, so it shows “Not fully stated” instead of a level. These listings don’t appear on the level pages. One exception: a degree must-have still shows as level 4, because the text already proves it.
Must-have versus nice-to-have
The check reads the lines under the ad’s requirements or qualifications headings. When an ad has no headings, as with short feed snippets, it reads the sentences that name a degree, a diploma, a certification or experience. A requirement counts as a nice-to-have when the line softens it with words such as “preferred”, “a plus”, “ideally” or “desired”, or when it sits under a heading like “Preferred qualifications”. Everything else counts as a must-have. “Or equivalent” is not a softener: it names an alternative, so “degree or equivalent experience” counts as an experience requirement.
What the check can’t do
- It reads only what the ad states. It doesn’t add requirements the ad leaves out, and it doesn’t lower a bar because the title says “junior” or “entry level”.
- It can miss a requirement that the ad words in an unusual way. If an ad doesn’t spell out its requirements, the check can’t either.
- It can be wrong. If you think a check is wrong, email admin@guidingventures.com with the listing’s link.
The badges
- Will train appears when the ad’s text says the employer trains you, with phrases such as “will train”, “paid training”, “training provided” or “on-the-job training”. “No training provided” doesn’t count.
- No degree required appears only when the ad says so itself. An ad that simply doesn’t mention a degree gets no badge.
Both are automatic matches on the wording, so read what the ad actually offers.