…because “Innovation doesn’t take December off!”
By Clarity Communications Team
On Monday, December 15, our team had the opportunity to participate in the Tech Walk Breakfast Seminar in NYC. Organized by TechWalk and hosted by Brainstation, a leading technical certification platform company, in their downtown office in Soho in NYC, it was an insightful gathering of technology professionals, founders, job seekers and recruiting leaders focused on navigating today’s evolving tech hiring landscape.
Representing Clarity Recruiting, Matt Norton, a leader within our Technical Recruiting division, shared practical, grounded insights drawn directly from his work partnering with startup leadership teams, venture-backed technology firms and financial services firms among others. From what truly makes a candidate stand out early in the process to how AI can actually hurt a job search when misused, Matt offered clear, actionable guidance for anyone building or navigating a tech career right now.
Below is a recap of some of questions posed during Matt’s panel discussion, his responses, and a few bonus insights:
Q -What is the clearest positive signal a candidate can send early that makes you want to prioritize them? What are standout candidates doing differently that separates them from the crowd?
A – Preparation is a big one for me. Specifically, having well thought out responses to the common interview questions that you can expect to be asked. Having a good answer for whatever version of “tell me about yourself” you’re asked is a great way to start an interview on a positive note and establish yourself as a priority candidate. Given the incredible amount of talent out there, fumbling over a straightforward question can be a red flag. Who you are as a person matters, and an interviewer has typically already read the bullets on your resume, so use this to show your personality.
Q-Let’s chat about AI (can’t have a tech discussion without the mention of AI) how do you see the use of AI by candidates in their job search actually hurting their candidacy?
A – Using AI or any other tool to mass apply for jobs is largely going to be counterproductive. Placing more focus on the roles you are most likely to be a strong match for is a better strategy. It has also never been easier to reverse-engineer a resume to hit keywords and be picked up by an ATS. However, recruiters can ID this quickly, and are more interested in your unique impact on your organization than how well your resume matches the bullet points in a job description.
Q – In your work with technology firms who are opening roles, what changes have you seen in their requirements for an “ideal” candidate in recent years, maybe post-pandemic and post-ChatGPT.
A – It’s a high bar for talent out there right now. Generally, the profiles our venture backed clients are looking for are computer science grads with startup experience. From a technical standpoint, system design and scalability tend to be a major focus. And we’re seeing more early-stage firms place a high emphasis on in person collaboration, high EQ and good soft skills are a must. Major differentiators are tenure + experience at a startup that has scaled, and very active opensource contributions or side projects.
Q – What is one tip you can offer our audience that are actively seeking new opportunities that they can make in the next 30 days that would materially improve their chances? I’m partial to attending TechWalks and other networking events as a recommendation 🙂
A – Make sure you’re executing the basics at a high level and focus your attention on the opportunities where you know you can deliver value the fastest. Startups in particular don’t always have capacity to conduct lengthy training programs so they’re seeking talent that can hit the ground running, self-motivate and be resourceful on the job.
Hiring and job searching in today’s tech market requires more than perfectly optimized resumes and mass outreach. It takes clarity, preparation, and a real understanding of what companies are actually prioritizing right now.
If you’re a technology professional navigating your next move — or a startup leader building a team in a competitive market — our technical recruiting team at Clarity Recruiting partners closely with candidates and companies to create thoughtful, scalable hiring strategies grounded in real-time market insight.
Get in touch with our team to start a more intentional, human-centered approach to tech hiring.
