Suppose you are looking for a new job, a new project to make some extra income, or even your first opportunity as an intern or junior developer.
You already have some level of knowledge in code, you have built a few features, or even created your first project.
But the hiring process is not very clear, so let us try to simplify it.
your first project
You learned HTML, CSS and JavaScript. You built your first website for some professional in your area and you use that project as a portfolio. Maybe you even have a personal site with your own domain.
Doing everything on your own, you:
- pushed the project to GitHub;
- connected it to Vercel (or another hosting platform);
- bought a domain and set everything up nicely;
- maybe even experimented with a VPS, manual deploys or Docker;
- had meetings with the client, designed the project (or used AI), organised tasks with GitHub Projects;
- split it into stages, used Git for versioning and in the end… delivered everything working.
You know every step of the process, you are proud of it, and you should be!
Now you have a LinkedIn profile, you listed all the technologies you used, maybe even some agile methodologies you applied to the project. And finally, you got your first job offer.
the interview happened, but not this time
You went through every stage:
The HR interview, the technical interview and the code challenge.
But not this time. The position went to another candidate.
And then the questions come:
"What was I missing to be considered a junior professional?" "Why was I not hired?"
Let us unpack the process a little more.
understanding the stages of a technical interview
the developer's view
From your point of view, you already know the technologies. You even built a working website and delivered real value. And that is great, even if you are still learning what "knowing well" means: do you really know all those little stars you put next to JavaScript on your CV?
Yes, you delivered a real project, but the way you talk about it, how you organise it, how you think about problems, how you write code, all of that may still be maturing.
And that will be part of your entire career. Keep maturing.
the HR recruiter's view
This professional probably does not have a technical background. What they want to assess is:
- can you communicate well?
- can you tell the story of your project?
- are you clear when talking about the technologies and the decisions you made?
This stage is more about selling yourself than about technology. If you got here, it is because your CV has already been validated. Congratulations, one more of many barriers cleared.
the technical interviewer's view
Now you are talking to someone from the technical side. That person may be an experienced developer, or not.
The goal here is to assess your authenticity:
- Do you actually understand what you are saying?
- How do you solve problems?
- How do you make decisions?
- How do you react to questions you cannot answer?
For a junior position, it is expected that you have limitations. The focus is usually on commitment, curiosity, effort and fundamentals.
Aware that once again you are in a sales process: in a few minutes it is impossible to assess someone technically. Treat it as if you were at a meetup: talk, do real networking, be the kind of person worth working alongside, even if you never end up working alongside that professional.
the code challenge reviewer's view
If you made it to this stage, your code is now being analysed by someone on the engineering team.
What that person will assess:
- Does the project run? Does it meet the requirements?
- Is the code organised? Modularised?
- Does the use of the technologies make sense?
- Did you follow good practices? Did you understand the brief?
- What were your commits like? Does the history make sense?
Even if everything works, poorly explained decisions, bad organisation or confusing code can weigh against you. Things can go wrong during the challenge and many metrics can come out imprecise; just focus on doing the best you can.
so why were you not hired?
You may have done well in every stage and still not been chosen. That happens. Here are some possible reasons:
- Competition: hundreds (or thousands) of candidates may have applied.
- Subjective criteria: recruiters and interviewers are human; emotions and biases influence them.
- Company budget: the process can freeze for internal reasons.
- Cultural fit: sometimes the choice goes to whoever "seems to match" the team better.
- Referrals: processes with internal referrals usually carry more weight.
Many of these things are not under your control.
what is under your control?
Your effort, your decisions, your behaviour, your willingness to learn and improve every day.
None of that guarantees a position, but all of it builds your journey. Look, a company or a job title will not dictate your entire professional or personal life. And I will go further: use the process to improve whatever you find lacking in your own process and preparation.
what to do now?
Keep building:
Improve your portfolio, take part in real or volunteer projects, write about your experiences, share code on GitHub, network, apply to new positions.
With every new attempt, you sharpen your skills. There will come a moment when you are well above the level of the position, and then it will be impossible to ignore your value.
- No course, book or training will leave you 100% ready; not even a course run by the company guarantees you the job.
- You will learn more by working than by studying. The first position is the hardest; learn from it.
- Rejection is part of it. It is not personal, and you are not incapable.
so what is seniority, after all?
Seniority is about context: where you have been, what you did, what you learned from it.
It does not define where you will get to.
Your value is not tied to a title or a level. You are more than a position, a label or a hiring process.
wrapping up
Failing a process does not mean failure. It means iterating, just like in any system we are trying to improve.
The technology market is brutal in some respects, but it is also full of opportunities.
Keep putting yourself out there, learning and trying. At some point the right position, at the right company, will come along, and then you will remember the whole path you walked to get there, with pride.
Along that path you will meet excellent professionals. Take the chance to do real networking with the people who gave their time and effort to assess you, use the process to learn and develop, publish your results and gain visibility.
Look, do not hate the player, hate the game. Companies exist to generate profit, and people hire stories and people, not your capabilities. Being inside a project will not spare you from suffering through the stages, and unfortunately from making mistakes.
Every company you pass through, every process you go through, you are increasing your value, not only your market value, but your value as a person. Understand the process for what it really is.