“How hard can it be to find a new Java developer?”

I was asked this question by our engineering director, frustrated with my lack of progress in finding a new software developer for our project.

By then, I had interviewed several candidates and concluded they would not be successful in the role.

Our team found a good fit a couple of weeks after the nudge, so I never had to explain the real reason why I did not recommend the previous candidates.

It was us, not them.

My reservation, which I helped the candidates understand, is that while they could meet the immediate requirements of the project — we would be fortunate to have them aboard — working with our technology stack was not an optimal choice for them in the long run.

With enough time passed and that entire project no longer active, I can explain my assessment using a structured framework.

In this story, I explain that framework and share a couple of personal anecdotes illustrating why it is relevant whether you are starting or well underway in your professional career.

Let’s start with an adaptation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which I’ll call the “Hierarchy of Career Priorities.”

“How hard can it be to find a new Java developer?”

I was asked this question by our engineering director, frustrated with my lack of progress in finding a new software developer for our project.

By then, I had interviewed several candidates and concluded they would not be successful in the role.

Our team found a good fit a couple of weeks after the nudge, so I never had to explain the real reason why I did not recommend the previous candidates.

It was us, not them.

My reservation, which I helped the candidates understand, is that while they could meet the immediate requirements of the project — we would be fortunate to have them aboard — working with our technology stack was not an optimal choice for them in the long run.

With enough time passed and that entire project no longer active, I can explain my assessment using a structured framework.

In this story, I explain that framework and share a couple of personal anecdotes illustrating why it is relevant whether you are starting or well underway in your professional career.

Let’s start with an adaptation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which I’ll call the “Hierarchy of Career Priorities.”