Forget about getting hired if you don't tick 100% of the boxes

Nicolas Cava
Edited onEdited on Sep 18, 2025
Reading time1 minute

Forget about getting hired if you don't tick 100% of the boxes.

That's the absurd reality of today's job market.

Your résumé could scream value. But if it doesn't mirror a job description word for word, you're done.

Job postings are written like grocery lists. Missing one must-have? You're out.

What happened to leaders who could think beyond the checklist? What happened to second-order thinking?

I won't bend my story to fit every posting. I won't dilute who I am. And I sure as hell shouldn't have to.

Last I checked, companies don't run on checkboxes. They run on outcomes.

By playing it safe: We pass on the very people who could reshape the role. Disrupt the status quo. Unlock growth they didn't even know was possible.

👉 Safe hiring creates mediocrity.

Instead ask: What else could this person bring that we didn't even think to ask for?

Hiring managers have lost the courage to bet on potential.

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