Job descriptions are designed to define exactly what companies are looking for. But in reality, the best hires don’t always tick every box on a job spec.
In fast-moving industries like Web3, rigid requirements on paper don’t always reflect what truly makes a strong candidate. Sometimes the most valuable hires come from looking beyond the checklist and focusing on real experience, proven ability, and relevance to the role.
We asked Brandon, one of our consultants here at Odiin, what parts of a job description he tends to mentally filter out when reviewing a role, and why.
One of the things Brandon occasionally filters out when reviewing a job description is the number of years of experience required. Many roles specify something like “6+ years of experience,” but that number alone doesn’t always tell the full story.
What often matters far more is the relevance and depth of a candidate’s experience. For example, if a job description asks for six years of Rust and backend experience working on high-frequency trading systems, but a candidate has four years working directly at a top HFT firm, that experience can actually be more valuable.
In situations like this, Brandon would still strongly recommend that the client take a serious look at that candidate. The quality and relevance of the experience can often outweigh the exact number of years written in the job description.
Ultimately, meaningful project experience tends to matter much more than simply meeting a specific time requirement. Candidates who have worked on projects that closely align with what a company is building often bring a deeper understanding of the problems they’re solving. When recruiters understand both the role and the industry well, they can explain why someone with slightly fewer years of experience might actually be a stronger fit.
Another requirement that often appears in job descriptions is a formal degree. In many cases, Brandon treats this more as a “nice to have” rather than a strict requirement.
In engineering, particularly within Web3, many highly skilled developers are self-taught. They build their knowledge through platforms like YouTube, GitHub, GitLab, hackathons, mentorship, and open-source contributions. Some of the strongest engineers in the space may not hold a formal degree or master’s qualification, yet their technical ability and real-world experience can exceed those who do.
Over time, as you become more familiar with the Web3 ecosystem, it becomes clear that proof of work is often the most important signal. Engineers who contribute to meaningful projects and can demonstrate their ability through examples, repositories, and real output often stand out far more than candidates who simply meet traditional academic requirements.
In fast-moving sectors like Web3, the best recruiters learn to look beyond rigid job descriptions. Years of experience and formal qualifications can provide helpful context, but they don’t always determine who will succeed in a role.
What truly matters is relevance, capability, and demonstrated impact. Candidates who can show what they’ve built, contributed to, or shipped often tell a far more compelling story than any line in a job description ever could.
