Social, political, economic and technological changes create huge disruptions in the labor market. The past few years have been a tightrope walk between uncertainty and instability.
Every time there is a major shift, people are laid off and have a hard time reentering the job market.
The shift to AI is rocking the tech industry right now. Chip manufacturers and technology companies don't seem to have a clear path to the future. AI is one of the biggest disruptors and even the biggest players are floundering. Over 80,000 tech employees have been laid off in the first 3 quarters of 2024 - and the third quarter is not over. In August, Intel announced 15,000 layoffs; Cisco announced 6,000 layoffs; and Apple announced 100 layoffs after laying off 600 in April.
Many companies are shedding highly skilled engineers and computer professionals at an astonishing pace as they try to reposition themselves. The road is rocky with companies struggling to find their way.
FYI.com, a layoff tracker that tracks layoffs in the tech industry, reported over 250,000 workers in the tech industry laid off in the past couple of years.
Not only have companies failed to anticipate the impact of AI on their business model but individuals caught up in the cyclone of AI have also failed to protect themselves from the AI induced layoffs. A huge number of the available jobs currently posted require knowledge of AI.
We are in times that require anticipating change and being proactive about your career plan. If you are not constantly retraining and renewing your knowledge and skills you are facing career risk. Any time there is a shift in technology on the scale of AI and machine learning, the demand for talent changes radically. There are losers and there are winners in this process.
It takes much more effort to get back into the job market right now especially if you are over 35 or 40. It is also hard to change or to compromise on your expectations. Every generation expects that the amazing knowledge and skills they possess are “the last thing”. It never is… Change is a given and it is happening ever more rapidly. Gordon Moore should have taught you that by now… Right?
Experienced people want a job just like the one they left and inexperienced people are loath to give up on their dreams. If you just graduated it is really difficult to break into the tech job market with so many experienced people on the market. New grads I am working with started their engineering degrees with the expectation that there would be offers galore upon graduation. Then stuff happened. The demand for techies shifted. For the first time in a long time demand for engineers, scientists and computer professionals is fickle.
Tech professionals are stunned by how much harder it is to find a job now. People are telling me they have submitted 150 to a whopping 600 applications with little to no response (and that’s the worst way to try to find a job).
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics - Department of Labor - reported in early August, “Total nonfarm payroll employment edged up by 114,000 in July, well below the average monthly gain of 215,000 over the prior 12 months. According to the latest DOL July report, employment continued to trend up in healthcare, in construction, and in transportation and warehousing, while information lost jobs.” Information employment declined by 20,000 in July. Government employment added 17,000.
Job Seekers have it harder in 2024. Job seeking is a contact sport. What is required is a sustained effort, a solid plan for job attainment, and realistic expectations.
Finding a job is rarely easy and there are times when it seems impossible – especially considering the rather nosebleed hiring frenzy a couple of years ago.
It always takes at least 3 to 6 months of intense full time work - doing the right things - to get a job, no matter how special you are! Now you are competing with talent from across the globe, people with stellar degrees and experience so you really need to put effort into the enterprise of finding a job.
If you have been laid off from a high tech giant that has been shedding thousands of people, you're most likely reeling right now. Your income, your lifestyle, your self worth are all in shambles. It is particularly crushing to be back on the market.
The last time you looked, the market was: if you have an engineering degree and you can walk and chew gum at the same time – you’re hired.
Things have changed. It takes nerves of steel and a solid job search strategy to get a job during turbulent times no matter who you are.
Expect the worst: Asking someone out of college for 10 plus years an algorithm question, and expecting a rapid fire answer, is a sure way of weeding out older techies.
According to Steve West, a Senior Software Developer (eBay) with 20 years of experience, “the job market is massively saturated right now. Interviewing is a nightmare. Questions are ridiculous! I got the offers I did because of the design and system questions, and my ability to talk effectively about my experience. The interesting thing is that a number of bigger companies have started altering their interview processes because they weren’t getting the candidates they wanted.
But, the “unnecessarily complicated algorithm” based questions became such a thing that a lot of smaller companies copied it, even though it didn’t align with what they needed.”
It’s always who you know
I say it over and over again. It is always who you know. You do not have to know someone directly. You just have to know people who know people...
“ Networking and using all your contacts is really important.” Steve West
People who tell me they know no one are sometimes underestimating the power of the people they have in their circle. A student who graduated from UCLA during the pandemic told me he didn’t have any contacts. I asked about his professors and he didn’t think any of them would remember him since all of his classes were on Zoom. We developed a letter to his key faculty asking if they would serve as his references. He detailed his performance in class, key strengths and included his resume. He discovered one of them worked for Google. He had applied to Google four times and been rejected. It turned out his professors did remember him quite well after all. Especially the one who worked for Google. That is how he networked into Google!
Be Open – Explore
Steve West suggested “be open to things you might not have considered when the market was hot – Taking a job that is slightly lower (different) than your expectations, taking a job with a smaller company where you might wear multiple hats, or taking a contract job to get your foot back in the door.”
Consider the government – The largest employer in the US is the Federal Government with 2.95 million workers. The State of California employs 246,438 workers. The process for applying is complicated and lengthy but well worth it if you are aging out of the rat race of 60 to 80 hour workweeks. And you get to do pretty interesting things.
After 23 years in high tech with Intel and Solidigm, Rich Layne was laid off. He took a job with the State of California and is finding a whole new world.
Rich Layne - Software Development Manager, CA Dept of Child Support Services - on the topic of
Government vs Private - The pace is much slower and there is a ton of process. I’m starting to understand the system – adjusting to a whole new set of priorities, culture, style, and individual motivations. The first thing I am doing is spending time meeting people, understanding the leaders of other teams, learning what their missions within the organization are and trying to figure out what problems they need solved.
I am enjoying not working at the frenzied pace of private industry. And I am seeing future opportunities to move up. I took a 60% pay cut and went in 2 levels below my previous level but (as with a ton of state agencies), the entire team above is retiring. I also see the possibility of leaving and then consulting back to the State...
I love that there are people at the State agency - who help you manage your career. Figuring out how to get promotions.
5 things you can do to increase your chances of returning to work sooner rather than later:
- Do a Self Assessment and create a solid Career Plan!!! Analyze what you want. What are your goals, your values, your interests, your knowledge and expertise. What do you bring to the table that is of value? You need to know who you are and why you are special.
- Network! 80% of the jobs are not posted anywhere. This is where you should be spending your time. Trust me. It is always who you know. Make a list of companies you are interested in, research them, and make direct contact using your network. Use LinkedIn to connect for the companies on your list if you do not have a person you know on the inside. Spend 20% or less of your time submitting your resume through search engines.
- Have Options! Think outside of your box. If you are only looking in the places that are reeling from the change over to AI then you are going to be disappointed. Take a look at who is hiring. Consider the government, national research labs, the US Patent & Trade Office, higher education, healthcare, construction firms. They all hire techies!!!
- Write a targeted resume for each and every job you apply for using the job description and requirements as a guide of what to include and what to exclude. Write to the job rather than writing a resume that leaves you locked in your past. Think of a venn diagram - what knowledge, skills and interests are in the intersection of your past and the job you hope to get.
- Prepare for the worst questions you can imagine. The job description and requirements will be a huge source of information for what questions will be asked in an interview. For technical questions the best source is Cracking The Code to a Successful Interview by Evan Pellet. STUDY, STUDY, STUDY. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.
There is a huge risk that you are going to be replaced. It’s actually a probability… AI is out there and coming for your job if it has not already.
What are you doing to reinvent yourself? Are you managing your career? Get help!!! Do not wait for the AI layoffs to catch you. Get in front of it with a plan.
You got this!
Cici Mattiuzzi is the Author of ‘The Serious Job Seeker’ and the founding director (emeritus) of the Career Services Office for the College of Engineering and Computer Science at CSU Sacramento.