Schrödinger’s Candidate: The Impossible Job Ad

We’ve all seen the job ads that feel like satire:

• “Entry-level role… requires 3–5 years of experience.”

• “We want self-starters, but don’t question the status quo.”

• “We’re looking for passion and innovation, but we’ll underpay you and overload you.”

At first, it’s easy to blame HR templates or generic job-posting software. But here’s the thing: I’ve spoken to hiring managers. I’ve seen the mindset behind these postings up close. And a lot of the time, these aren’t rogue HR drafts, they’re real expectations.

Some hiring managers genuinely want candidates who are:

• Overqualified but willing to take entry-level pay.

• Experienced enough to need no training, but “junior” enough not to rock the boat.

• Hungry, ambitious, brilliant, but content to stay underpaid and overworked.

  
  

In other words, they’re searching for Schrödinger’s candidate: the mythical person who can do it all, but won’t ask for much in return.

And sometimes, they even find them. Picture a professor with a medical degree or a postdoc with years of research under their belt who’s brand new to industry. Because of the market, they accept a shockingly low salary just to get a foot in the door. On paper, the company thinks they’ve scored.

But here’s the reality:

1. Pay compression becomes a nightmare. New hires with elite credentials earning less than long-timers with fewer qualifications breeds resentment on both sides.

2. It’s a short fuse. That “bargain hire” won’t stick around. Once they’ve got industry experience, they’ll leave for an employer that pays fairly. You’ve essentially funded someone else’s future star.

3. Culture takes the hit. Salary transparency isn’t optional anymore — people talk. Inequity kills trust, and ambitious employees who feel undervalued become disengaged, disgruntled, or gone.

4. It’s not sustainable. Exploiting overqualified people at entry-level pay isn’t a smart strategy. It’s churn disguised as cost savings.

Here’s the takeaway:

For candidates → Don’t self-select out because of impossible lists. Job descriptions are wish lists, not gospel. Apply if you’re interested, even if you’re “only” 70% qualified.

For employers → Stop chasing unicorns and discount talent. It doesn’t work. You don’t build loyalty or culture by undervaluing people. The perfect candidate doesn’t exist, but curious, adaptable, ambitious humans do. And those are the ones who’ll actually grow your business.

🔥 Mic drop:

Hiring managers, it’s time to stop looking for Schrödinger’s candidate. Because when you try to get everything for nothing, what you really get is nothing in the end.