Recruiter accidentally leaves notes on job description, reveals secret applicant requirements: 'Traits to avoid—2 to 4 month resume gaps, 8+ years of experience'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Sep 16, 2026 8:00 AM EDT

What do hiring managers even want from job applicants anymore?

A lot of advice about looking for a job comes down to knowing how to play the game. An applicant learns how to tweak their resume to every job description, making it engaging enough for a person but also simple enough to be processed by AI; they coach themselves on common interview questions and do their research into the company so they can make some engaging questions of their own. They sink hours of their time into applying and networking and trying to land a new role, but often, they find no luck. It's rough out there.

It is not uncommon for somebody seeking work to feel like they are doing everything right, but not seeing any results for it. There always seems to be a better applicant, a company changes its mind, or maybe the job they were hoping to get didn't even exist in the first place. It is almost inevitable that they start to wonder if they have a problem.

While it is true that everyone has their flaws and they can prevent them from being hired, it is fair to say that some employers have standards that are ridiculous. They seem to chase an ideal candidate who doesn't really exist, and leave behind those who may not conform 100% to their strict criteria, but who would be a worthwhile employee. When they get so many applications, though, they don't want to broaden those horizons. It is just too much work.

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  • A female recruiter sits across the table from a job applicant, interviewing him.
    via Vitaly Gariev

    A female recruiter sits across the table from a job applicant, interviewing him. Still frame for contextual reference only.
     

  • When a recruiter accidentally left a list of their personal requirements in a job description they put out, people were baffled by their specifications. They weren't interested in somebody with employment gaps, but a candidate with many years of experience didn't fit the bill, either. If this is happening behind the scenes of many job openings, it is no wonder the employment market feels like a struggle these days.

  • A recruiter accidentally left this on a job description. Looks like they are pretty picky.

    Traits to Avoid | #opentowork on LinkedIn Laid off from last role for performance reasons In-between roles Explicit desire to work on trendy tech (e.g., "AI", LLMs, crypto) Contract or part-time roles 2-4 month resume gaps Job-hoppy (1.5-2 year stints) Exclusively Big Tech experience 8+ years of experience
    via CorpAbsurdity
  • xonecas @xonecas Traits to avoid: experience. Nice, real nice. recruiting is doing so well, a leading industry.... This is the people I want Al to replace.
    via xonecas
  • Rafael Silva @sil79559 I said this many years ago, looking for work with "open to work" is like looking for marriage with "divorced", you are trying to sell yourself, you arent obligated to be sincere about your working status, just lie, f you wanna win, play your cards و
    via sil79559

  • These listings contradict themselves at times.

    Johnny Cage @JohnnyCage00007 Avoid 8+ yrs while job announcement says 15 yrs experience required
    via JohnnyCage00007
  • Tim @timczzkz 8+ yrs of experience but without ever having taken a 3 month break between jobs. So basically a consistent slave with no desire to do anything outside of his work.
    via timczzkz
  • David Roome @David RoomeAuth We need to figure out how to punish recruiters
    via DavidRoomeAuth

  • There's no hope for the unemployed.

    Alex Noonan @AlexNoonan6 Never give a job to someone that doesn't have one
    via AlexNoonan6
  • OKED Asagi @XxemoviolencexX Exhibit A for why the real problem is an extreme labor surplus, not shortages.
    via XxemoviolencexX
  • @Wildebee I can't believe I'm an adult during one of the worst hiring markets.
    via Wildebee_

  • There are even more rules to add to the game.

    Saint of Weimar @SaintOfWeimar So the optimal strategy is to put your university + major, no graduation date + your current role, and just lie & say you've been there for exactly 3 years, do not provide a point of contact at your current company
    via SaintOfWeimar
  • GSV Bemusement Park @GSVBemusementPk I feel like condemning "exclusively Big Tech experience" is irrelevant because if that matters to you you're not paying enough to attract them away anyway
    via GSVBesumementPk
  • Tekkenwolf @tekkendeva A You can't retire until you're 65 but you can only work a maximum of 8 years.
    via tekkendeva

  • They wanted Mr. Right.

    Reese aL DJIBRIL666 @Reese02Threat Why does this look like some stupid dating criteria????
    via Reese02Threat
  • OC Sargoh XRPadres @XRPadres This is everyone looking for a job
    via XRPadres
  • Rahtid Man @Rahtid George What's funny is, the people who job hop will always find good work and better pay anyway.
    via RahtidGeorge

  • Avoiding the ageism is tricky.

    boxfan17 @boxfan17 The trick here btw is to give dates for the last X years of work then summarize the rest in an Early Career section then it's unclear how old you are and how many YoE
    via boxfan17
  • George Mount ❤ @gjmount For a country that supposedly celebrates entrepreneurial risk-taking, our HR and hiring processes are spectacularly risk-averse
    via gjmount

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recruiter job description job search job application
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