The Tool Obsession Killing Tech Talent

I've been looking for a tech job for multiple times in recent years, and there's something that keeps bothering me. Companies care too much about specific tools and not enough about real skills. Every day I see job posts asking for React, Docker, or some viral framework experience. But what about problem-solving? What about the ability to think critically and adapt? These things barely get mentioned. It feels like hiring managers are just checking boxes instead of looking for people who can actually think.

Let me tell you about someone like John Doe. He spent ten years building Android apps, starting with Java and later using Kotlin. He knows how to design systems that handle millions of users. He can fix bugs that crash entire apps. He even helps junior developers grow. But when he applied for a job that required React Native experience, they rejected him immediately. Not because he couldn't learn React Native, he's learned new tools his whole career but because the hiring team only cared about that one keyword. They didn't even look at his real skills.

This isn't just about mobile development. I know backend engineers who spent years optimizing SQL based databases, only to get rejected for jobs that required NoSQL experience. The funny thing is, the core skills are the same. Indexing, query optimization, data modeling these concepts don't change just because you switch databases (yes there are some adjustment, but you got my point). I've also seen frontend developers who built amazing websites with plain JavaScript get ignored because they didn't use React. Companies act like frameworks are everything, when really they're just tools. What matters is knowing how to use them properly.

Here's what really frustrates me. This hiring problem doesn't just affect me as a job seeker. It affects entire teams. I've worked with people who got hired because they knew the right tools, but when we actually worked together, the difference was clear. Some could only follow tutorials and copy code. When real problems came up, they struggled. Meanwhile, the best coworkers I've had weren't necessarily experts in every tool, but they knew how to think. They could debug complex issues, explain solutions clearly, and adapt when things changed. That's what makes a great engineer, not just memorizing framework details.

I understand why companies do this. It's easier to scan resumes for keywords than to evaluate real problem-solving skills. Managers worry about taking risks. They think, "What if we hire someone who doesn't know our stack?" But this fear creates a bigger problem. Companies miss out on people who could actually help them grow. Instead, they get teams full of people who know today's tools but can't handle tomorrow's challenges.

When I apply for jobs, I'm not just listing tools I've used. I'm trying to show that I can build good systems, clean up messy code, and work with teams to create real solutions. But too often, my application gets rejected because I'm missing one specific tool on my resume. It's discouraging. More than that, it's short-sighted. Tools change all the time. Remember when everyone wanted jQuery experience? Now it's barely mentioned. What hasn't changed? The need for engineers who can learn, adapt, and solve real problems.

I don't have all the answers. I'm just someone trying to find work in a system that feels broken. But I know this much when companies care more about tools than thinking, everyone loses. Teams become weaker. Good ideas get missed. And talented people like John Doe, keep wondering why our actual skills don't seem to matter.