Technical Hiring Insights — Job Seeker Survey

Senior/ Lead — Individual Contributor (5-10 years)

Senior / Lead — People Manager (5-10 years)

Recently accepted an offer (within 6 months)

Not actively searching but open to opportunities

Did not have the specific tools or tech stack required

Not enough hands-on or practical experience

Work authorization or citizenship requirements

Feedback that either portfolio or GitHub projects wasn't the right fit

Received positive feedback but was still rejected

Told I could not clearly explain my past work

Told I lacked hands-on or practical experience

Told I lacked specific experience or skills

Told my resume did not match the job description, either required or preferred qualifications

Built a portfolio, GitHub, or proof-of-work projects

Completed labs or hands-on training environments (e.g., TryHackMe, HackTheBox)

Earned certifications (e.g., Security+, CISSP, AWS)

Practiced explaining technical concepts in plain language

Practiced / improved stories demonstrating real-world scenarios

Utilized LinkedIn for outreach, commenting, and making connections

Certifications not valued as much as expected

Difficulty competing against the volume of applicants

Experience requirements that seem too high for the level

Inconsistency around location or commuter requirements

Inconsistent or unpredictable hiring timelines

Job descriptions that do not reflect the actual role

Lack of transparency about what the process involves

Networking feels required but hard to access

Unclear difference between required and preferred qualifications

Underestimating how long the process would take

Importance of certifications vs. experience

Technical skills vs. communication skills

Unrealistic timeline expectations (how fast you'll hear back)

Have you encountered potential job recruiting scams during your search?

Asked to provide sensitive personal or financial information early in the process

Contacted by a recruiter who could not be verified