# Join SkillMix — The Seat > SkillMix doesn't hire for headcount. We hire for the seat. 9 of 423 applicants got the seat in 2025. Decision in 21 days. No recruiters, no panel rounds, no ghosting. The projects end. The phone numbers don't. --- ## What "the seat" means We don't hire roles. We open seats. Each one fills slowly, on our timing. The work itself is project-based — a few weeks or months at a time. What you actually leave with after a few years here is a small list of operators who keep picking up your call for the next twenty years. - **2025 intake:** 9 of 423 applications. - **Decision:** ~21 days from application to offer or clean no. - **Engagement:** project-based. - **Reply rate:** every application gets a reply. - **Recruiters in the loop:** zero. --- ## The toolbox — filled by us, yours forever What you walk out with after a few years here isn't a job title. It's a working kit — technical, operational, and human — that compounds for the rest of your career. Real production projects with measurable outcomes, exposure to frontier AI work and senior consulting practice, and a strong network across the Benelux. --- ## The bar Every dot is an application we read in 2025. Nine got the seat. We read every application. Most of the people we say no to are sharp. The ones we say yes to are the ones we'd want to work with for ten years. We look for: - Strong fundamentals in software, ML, or quantitative methods. - Comfort owning outcomes end-to-end (not just tasks). - Pragmatism — we ship. - The kind of judgment that doesn't need to be managed task-by-task. --- ## The network — a launchpad, not a job Engagements are project-based — a few weeks, a few months. What's different is what happens *after*. The people who launch from SkillMix don't drift off. The line back stays attached. - **Project leads, before the job board** — engagements that didn't fit our loop, but fit you. Passed alumnus to alumnus, in a Slack DM, before they ever become a posting. - **Warm intros that open doors** — operators, founders, clients. A short message from someone they trust. - **References with weight** — written by people who actually shipped with you, signed by someone whose word the reader takes seriously. - **The first call when you start something** — a company, a team-lead role, a project you're staffing — you'll know exactly who to call first. - **Operators on speed dial** — something breaks at 11pm. There's a small list of people who will pick up, who already know how you think. - **Mentorship** — a handful of operators who watched you learn the kit. They'll keep telling you the truth, for the next ten years. --- ## How the seat works — engagement shapes We staff per project. None of these are "junior tracks." Every engagement, regardless of shape, goes through the same bar. - **Single engagement** — one scoped deliverable, 4–12 weeks, fixed deadline. The default. - **Part-time, alongside studies** — ~8–20 hours a week, on a single project at a time. For people who want to ship without putting their degree on pause. - **Sprint engagements (holidays)** — full-time during winter and summer breaks. Tight, well-scoped projects where two weeks of focus changes the trajectory. - **Repeat engagements** — the people we work with tend to come back. After a first project goes well, the next one is booked before the current one ships. - **The bench** — even when there's no project this quarter, we add a small number of people. We engage when the right project lands. --- ## Selection — five steps, no recruiters Submit a CV and (optional) a short letter telling us what you'd want to build with us. From there it's screening, an exercise, a founder interview, and a decision. Most candidates know where they stand within three weeks. | Day | Step | What happens | |---|---|---| | Day 0 | Apply | CV + optional letter | | Day 3 | Screen | AI-led screening | | Day 10 | Build | Take-home exercise | | Day 17 | Talk | Founder interview | | Day 21 | Decide | Offer or a clean no | No panel rounds. No ghosting. About three weeks, end to end. --- ## What we expect once you're in - Real ownership of deliverables — not just tasks. - Direct work with clients. - Hitting deadlines and communicating professionally. - Senior-level autonomy from day one. We hire people who can run, not people who need to be managed. --- ## Compensation & support - **Paid.** Compensation is competitive, set per engagement based on role, scope, and seniority. - **Senior project supervision.** You're never the most senior person in the room. - **Internal tooling & AI infrastructure.** Direct access from day one. - **Structured internal training.** Onboarding designed to make you operate at a high standard immediately. International applicants are welcome, provided they're authorised to work in the EU and/or able to operate as a freelancer. --- ## Apply - **Application page:** https://skillmix.nl/join - **General contact:** info@skillmix.eu The seat is open. If this page reads like you, the next move is yours. One application. One letter. The rest is a conversation.