What hiring taught me

The sad reality

I recently posted a job ad for a junior developer role. After just two days, overwhelmed by the number of applications, I closed the ad. I received 634 applications. 407 came through LinkedIn, 227 via Indeed.

Six hundred and thirty four. That number hit me hard. On one level, I felt proud and excited that so many people wanted to work for Looped. But honestly, it was also deeply sobering. It’s a reflection of just how difficult the entry-level job market is right now, and how high the unemployment levels are in South Africa.

Looking through hundreds of CVs was a bit of a reality check for me. For every person who got an interview, over 100 didn’t. But I learned a lot from the process and hope that I can share something here that will help you in your job search.

What I looked for (and what matters less than you think)

Yes, a degree from a top university helps. It gets my attention a little faster. But it’s not the only thing that matters - and it’s not the reason I selected the people I did.

I cared more about:

• Curiosity – Are you genuinely interested in coding? Do you learn because you want to, not just because someone told you to?
• Initiative – Have you built something without being asked? Even small things count. A personal project, a portfolio website, or an app related to a hobby.
• Effort – Did you take the time to present yourself well? That alone already sets you apart.

Some of the strongest candidates didn’t have the best degrees on their CV. But they showed a passion for code, for learning, and for growing.

Some Practical Advice (If You’re Still Job Hunting)

The Deceptively Simple Screening Questions

Most people used the LinkedIn Quick Apply feature to apply. It’s a great way to quickly apply for jobs. That said, what you might not know, is that recruiters are using those initial questions to screen and automatically reject applicants.

I went through all my automatically rejected and ‘maybe’ applications and found that many of them were potentially a really good fit. They just didn’t answer the screening questions in the way LinkedIn thought they should (or maybe I didn’t set the questions up correctly). Either way, most hiring managers won’t review hundreds of rejections if they already have a solid shortlist.

The answers you give in the screening questions might be the most important part of your application. Read the job post carefully and tailor your answers with intention.

Your CV

I saw the same CV template hundreds of times - plain, text-heavy, and hard to scan.

Here’s how to improve it:

• Use basic design tweaks. A touch of colour and a clean font can help you stand out.
• Put your GitHub and portfolio links at the top. Make them impossible to miss.
• List your most recent or most relevant experience first.
• Highlight your skills, but avoid rating systems (e.g. 4/5 stars in Excel means very little).

It’s a tough market. You have to do everything you can to stand out.

Portfolio Websites

I’m a big fan of portfolio websites. They’re a excellent way to show off your work and to showcase your skills. If you can make one, do it - it helps.

GitHub

The next stage of my hiring process was a coding task. I’m not going to share the exact challenge, but I will share what I looked for.

Copied projects won’t get you far. I wasn’t looking for flashy work — I was looking for signs that you actually wrote the code.

I love AI and fully support using it to learn and grow, but it’s very easy to spot AI-generated work. For example, several submissions had the exact same three component filenames. Coincidence? I think not.

Use AI, but be smart about it.

I looked at commit history to:

• Understand your thought process
• See what changes you made over time
• Check if you copied and uploaded someone else’s work
• See how well you document your work

Your README matters too. It’s your opportunity to show you understood the challenge and can communicate clearly — not just in code, but in documentation.

Final Thoughts

I know how hard it is out there. I felt that, reading through application after application. I also know how disheartening it can be to keep trying and to keep getting rejected.

When I posted the job ad, I wasn’t expecting to have to reject 633 people. I honestly hated having to do that. It’s probably one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do professionally.

If you’re in that space, please don’t give up. Keep building. Keep learning. Keep applying. You never know when the right opportunity will open up.