Beyond the Resume

I’ve changed the way I think about hiring.

Earlier, I placed a lot of weight on security fundamentals—certifications, CVEs, bug bounty rankings, tools, and technical depth. They’re important, but I’ve come to see them as the starting point, not the differentiator. They tell me what someone knows today, but not necessarily how they’ll grow tomorrow.

Today, I look for curiosity, ownership, communication, and the ability to learn.

I pay close attention to how someone approaches a problem they don’t know the answer to. Do they ask thoughtful questions? Can they break down an unfamiliar problem? Are they willing to say, “I don’t know, but here’s how I’d figure it out”?

Over time, I’ve realised these traits compound.

Hiring isn’t just about assessing what someone knows. It’s about understanding how they think, how they learn, and who they can become.