I scheduled meetings with 20 job seekers in 30 days. Here is the #1 mistake.

I scheduled meetings with 20 candidates searching for software engineering roles in 30 days. About 15 showed up; some canceled or rescheduled. The patterns I saw were impossible to ignore. Here's what most of them had in common.

Most felt the pressure to upskill

Many candidates hadn't had to job search in years — and they knew it. They recognized their skills had gaps, especially in areas where AI is now doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

One candidate had several years of front-end experience at a healthcare company and was recently laid off. His JavaScript and TypeScript skills were solid, but narrowly focused. The problem? Front-end only roles are shrinking. Full-stack is the new standard. He was already taking courses and building side projects — which is great — but adding AI skills would make him significantly more marketable.

Some wanted to transition into a new role entirely

One candidate was working as a Quality Engineer at a logistics company with a pending promotion to Senior QA — but her real goal was to break into software engineering. She had solid DevOps skills, some scripting experience, and was using GitHub Copilot for test automation. But she lacked hands-on experience building enterprise-level software. She's pursuing a CS certificate as her entry point, but her projects are still beginner-level. The gaps to close: advanced software development, coding interview prep, system design, and AI skills.

Some had unique, non-traditional backgrounds that needed a custom strategy

One candidate was a PhD dropout with only one SWE internship under his belt. His technical foundation is actually strong — but his limited experience means he's competing for junior roles. He needs interview prep and help getting in the door.

Another was an international student in a master's program looking for both interview prep and a strategy to land at a company that would sponsor her visa — which narrows the field to big tech and large corporations. She needed coaching, networking support, and a clear game plan.

Some just needed a tune-up

One candidate had 10 years of experience and was consistently getting interviews — he just kept failing them. He didn't want big tech. He just needed to sharpen his interview skills and get out of his own way.

Some needed to rethink their entire career direction

One candidate was a mom who had been out of the tech industry for three or more years. She needed help figuring out what to focus on, what to learn, and how to rebuild her path forward with intention.

Some needed motivation and a mindset reset

One candidate was recently laid off, graduated with a job, worked for nine months, and then lost it. He felt like nothing was working. He was discouraged, had no direction, and didn't know where to start. He needed support across the entire process — not just tactics, but someone in his corner.

Some needed to be open to doing things differently

A candidate looking to switch from TPM to SWE and AI development had built personal projects using AI and agents — which is a good start — but without professional experience to back it up, it wasn't enough to land the role.

And most candidates, across the board, knew very little about AI engineering. That gap keeps showing up.

But the biggest issue? Not willing to change their approach

This was the hardest thing to see. Some candidates say they want something different — but when it comes down to it, they aren't willing to try a new approach. And that's what keeps them stuck.

One candidate came in thinking his situation was a quick fix — something we could solve in a 20-minute call. But as we dug in, the real picture was much more complex.

He was applying to multiple types of roles without a clear focus. He didn't know what the current market — recruiters, hiring managers, and teams — was actually looking for. Because of that, he couldn't identify which of his skills were selling points. And most importantly, he didn't have a personal story or a complete picture that showed the impact he'd made in his career. That's what companies are actually buying.

The two hardest things in this process are:

First 

Changing your strategy after you've already put so much time and energy into the one you have. It's painful to pivot. Most people are doing this alone, with no outside perspective, which makes it even harder to see what isn't working.

Second 

Trusting someone else with something this important. The job search is personal. It affects your income, your family, and your sense of self. Handing that to someone else takes real trust — and that's not a small ask.

That's exactly why we take it seriously.

We will be opening a program soon that will help train candidates. But to be successful, you must be open to change. And be open-minded.

Let’s keep going. And get these jobs.