This advice seems kind of crazy to me. I think you want someone who is proven in some skill-set, just not necessarily the exact one you are hiring for [1]. In s

This advice seems kind of crazy to me. I think you want someone who is proven in some skill-set, just not necessarily the exact one you are hiring for [1]. In software engineering, many skills are easily picked up. If you know C++, Java probably won't be too hard to learn. Angular and React aren't all that different. Even backend and frontend development have a lot of overlap. Many companies want experienced and proven hires and I think this is completely reasonable. If you can afford it, would you rather have Lebron James on your team or a rookie who shows some promise? However, I take issue when companies get too specific in their requirements and exclude candidates for not possessing skills that are easily learned by someone who is proven in other areas. [1] The exception might be junior developers who you are taking more of a risk on, but also get paid less as a result. However, there are costs to training a junior developer including paying a salary while they get up to speed and using up experienced devs' time to train them.