# Main

By [ClockWork Crypto](https://paragraph.com/@clockwork-crypto) · 2024-01-13

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With enough time passed and that entire project no longer active, I can explain my assessment using a structured framework.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

**The Framework: Hierarchy of Career Priorities**
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Let’s start with an adaptation of [Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs](https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html), which I’ll call the “_Hierarchy of Career Priorities_.”

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*Originally published on [ClockWork Crypto](https://paragraph.com/@clockwork-crypto/main)*