Every candidate's resume looks perfect now. GitHub profiles are flawless. Cover letters hit every keyword. But when you ask them to explain their own technical decisions, they can't.

Welcome to hiring in 2025, where AI makes everyone look like a senior engineer. 🧵

Head of Talent @ @lazertech formerly @foundation / @rodeodotclub , Twitter, Kickstarter, Tumblr 🏳️‍🌈
(thebc12.base.eth)

🚩 Red flags in screens:

Can't explain WHY they made technical choices
Struggle when you go off-script with follow-ups

✅ Green flags:

Walk through debugging with specific examples
Admit knowledge gaps and explain how they'd research solutions

🚩 Red flags in applications:

Identical bullet points across resumes (copy-paste AI syndrome)
Perfect portfolios with no debugging history

✅ Green flags:

Personalized applications showing company research
GitHub activity beyond just personal projects

63% of developers now use AI tools. That's good—we should all be using AI to work more efficiently.

But when everyone's application looks polished, traditional hiring signals break down. You need new ways to spot authentic builders vs. AI-enhanced presentations.