Job hunting as a top developer in 2025

About a month ago, Kevin Powell teased an interview with Adam Argyle about his job hunting experience. Today he released the full interview in which Adam shares some puzzling details.

Some insights on applying to jobs:

• Even a public figure with lots of referrals can struggle to get noticed in the sea of applicants.

• While you still need a resume as an entry ticket, it often doesn’t help in any other way because chances are high that no human will read it. Therefore, it’s normal to receive many rejections.

• You need other ways to get noticed. Adam had good results with a video that showcased his work. His advice: show not only what you can do but also what you want to do.

The remaining part of the video focused on the interview process:

• Adam coined the term “checklist hiring.” The process puts you against a checklist, and you get rejected if you don’t tick all the boxes. Often that checklist is disconnected from the actual role.

• He also emphasized that a few companies do listen and observe during interviews and encourage candidates to spread their wings and show off their skills.

At some companies the hiring process is broken for both sides: it’s hard to get hired and it’s hard to hire someone. That’s why I see job interviews as mutual interviews because most companies can’t hide their true character during the hiring process.