Training

First Principles in Talent Sourcing

Learn Modern Sourcing (Or Find Out You Can't)

2× 30-min 1-on-1 calls10-week programPrivate workgroup

It's 2026.

Everyone is talking about AI sourcing tools, automation, prompt engineering. “AI will replace recruiters.”

And yet — recruiters are still failing sourcing interviews.

I see it all the time. They submit an assignment. They feel confident. “This is strong.” Then they get rejected. And they don't know why.

The uncomfortable truth

AI didn't fix sourcing. It exposed who actually understands it.

Because if you don't understand first principles:

✕AI gives you better-looking bad results
✕Your searches are still flawed
✕Your candidate selection is still weak

Hiring teams see through it instantly.

What's happening right now

There are now two types of recruiters and most people miss which one they are.

Tool-driven recruiters

—Rely on AI outputs
—Copy prompts, generate lists
—Look productive
—Don't understand what they're doing

They plateau fast.

Principle-driven (top 1%)

→Understand how sourcing actually works
→Use AI as leverage, not a crutch
→Think in systems
→Get better roles, pass interviews easily

These people are killing it right now.

Why this matters now

AI is not the advantage anymore. Understanding is.

Anyone can generate a Boolean string, a list of candidates, a sourcing message.

Very few can judge quality, identify real talent, or adapt when the search fails. That's what companies actually pay for, and in 2026, that gap is getting bigger, fast.

This training moves you into the second group. If you get it right: you combine first principles with AI, you become extremely hard to replace, and you access better opportunities — because companies are actively looking for recruiters who can actually think.

The First-Level Principles of Modern Sourcing

What top 1% recruiters understand (and most don't). These are the mental models the training is built on. Each principle is simple. Most recruiters violate all of them.

The Set Theory Principle

Sourcing is not keywords. It's sets.

▾

Most recruiters type keywords and hope. Top recruiters define sets of candidates and combine them deliberately.

AND = intersection
OR = expansion
NOT = exclusion

If you don't think in sets, your searches are random.

The Signal vs Noise Principle

Keywords don't matter. Evidence does.

▾

Most recruiters match keywords. Top recruiters look for proof of real capability.

“Python” = noise
“Built a real-time system processing X events” = signal

If you can't separate signal from noise, you pick the wrong people.

The Proxy Principle

You never search directly for the thing.

▾

You don't search for “great engineer”. You search for environments that produce great engineers — companies, tech stacks, domains.

If you search directly, you miss the best candidates.

The Distribution Principle

Talent is not evenly spread.

▾

Most recruiters search broadly. Top recruiters know where talent clusters — specific companies, specific regions, specific ecosystems.

Where you search matters more than how you search.

The Iteration Loop Principle

Sourcing is not a search. It's a loop.

▾

Most recruiters run one search and stop. Top recruiters search → analyze → refine → repeat.

If your search doesn't evolve, it stays weak.

The Representation Principle

Profiles are not reality.

▾

Profiles are incomplete, biased, and optimized for visibility. Top recruiters interpret — they don't just match.

Absence of a keyword ≠ absence of skill.

The Tool Abstraction Principle

Tools don't matter. Models do.

▾

Most recruiters depend on tools. Top recruiters understand the system behind them.

If LinkedIn disappeared tomorrow, could you still source?

The AI Amplification Principle

AI doesn't fix bad sourcing — it scales it.

▾

AI can generate searches and suggest candidates. But it cannot define the right problem or judge real quality.

Weak thinking + AI = faster mistakes
Strong thinking + AI = massive leverage

The Conversion Principle

Finding candidates is only half the game.

▾

Most recruiters optimize for number of profiles. Top recruiters optimize for response and engagement.

A perfect list with no replies is still failure.

If you skip the first principles, AI won't save you

Every AI tool, every prompt library, every automation shortcut... they all assume you already understand the fundamentals. If you don't, learning more AI won't move you into the top tier. It will just make your mistakes faster and harder to spot. The recruiters who reach the top 1% don't get there because they use better tools. They get there because they know the core principles cold and then use AI on top of that.

What you'll learn (and actually practice) with Michal

1 — Introduction

Welcome

2 — Sets, not keywords

Sourcing is sets, not keywords
AND, OR, NOT — the three set moves
Briefs, mistakes, and required vs preferred
Set logic first — then tools, mapping, and AI
Set theory: worked examples
Set theory: exercises and assignment

3 — Signal vs noise

Keywords are not enough — evidence is
What is noise, what is signal
Typical mistakes, context, and consistency
Signal in different jobs, and AI’s limits
Signal: worked comparisons
Signal: exercises and assignment

4 — Smart proxies

Use proxies wisely

5 — Boolean from scratch

Build Boolean from ideas

6 — Search loops

Loops, not one-shot searches

7 — Where talent sits

Map where talent actually sits

8 — Pipelines that ship

Pipelines you can stand behind

9 — Defend your shortlist

Justify every shortlist

10 — AI as a multiplier

Use AI the right way

Enroll now

What you get

Full 3-week structured curriculum

2× 30-min 1-on-1 calls with Michal

Private workgroup — upload assignments, get direct feedback, see how others think

Pricing

€490— Training

The full program. You get the 3-week curriculum, two 30-minute 1-on-1 calls with me where we focus on your specific gaps, and access to the private workgroup where you can upload your work and get direct feedback.

Most people start here. It's enough to build a solid foundation and significantly improve your sourcing thinking.

€690— Training + Interview Prep

Everything in Training, plus one extra thing: you get a real sourcing assignment from a high-tech company — the kind that gets sent to candidates in actual hiring processes. You complete it, submit it, and I give you honest 1-on-1 feedback on exactly what you did well, what you missed, and whether you would have passed.

If you're actively preparing for interviews or want to know exactly where you stand, this is the one to get.

Who this is for

Recruiters failing sourcing interviews
Recruiters overwhelmed by AI tools but not improving
Recruiters who want to reach top-tier performance

Who this is NOT for

✕People looking for shortcuts
✕People who want prompts instead of thinking
✕People avoiding honest feedback

Why trust me

Michal Juhas

Most people teaching sourcing today learned it afterAI tools appeared. I didn't. I built my sourcing skills before ChatGPT — when if your thinking was wrong, you simply failed.

→Trained thousands of recruiters through webinars and courses at the Tech Recruitment Academy
→Reviewed hundreds of sourcing assignments — real hiring decisions
→Recently interviewed recruiters for a trading company with an extremely high bar
→100+ sourcing webinars organized before ChatGPT existed

Learn more

⚠️ Brutal honesty upfront

This is not a “learn ChatGPT prompts” course. By the end of this training, you will either understand sourcing at a deep level — or you will clearly see why you've been struggling. No hiding behind AI. No hiding behind tools.

Ready to move into the top 1%?

Two packages available — Basic and Pro with Interview Prep.

Enroll now