Those of us who come from one of the major tech companies, like Cisco, are probably going to be fine when looking for a job. Recruiters still want us, and we'll land on our feet. The people who are really struggling right now are the ones from smaller companies, and it is brutal out there for them.
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Without an internal referral, good luck even getting a call back.
I wouldn’t be so sure. If you can find opportunities at other big companies, yes, but few of them are hiring consistently. The small to medium sized companies in growth mode don’t want folks from massive companies. The perception in the market is they’re used to comfortable work with a ton of resources and their skills don’t translate to a fast-faced environment.
I was laid off from Cisco in Nov 2024 and was out of work for 16 months and was told some version of this by multiple hiring managers. The job market is so bad.
Market is stellar for hardware people and deep AI talent, but that isn't most of us. If you are deep AI talent, you have no reason to know thelayoff.com exists.
For typical and even senior software devs, I expect things to get worse. As much as you hear AI hype, probably only 10% of companies have bothered to play with it. When the other 90% finally get around to realizing that their dev work can be done through Claude, layoffs will be worse.
Probably no way around the fact that a huge number of devs will just have to find a new way to make a living.
Depends on our skillset and who you know.
I sincerely hope it’s that way for you. I think you are going to get your mind blown how difficult it is. I heard a statistic last week, 2022 it was an 8% chance of getting an interview after a cold apply. 2026 it’s a 3% interview rate.
I’m not saying this to b-m you out. I’m say this because you need a strategy. Old school cold applying doesn’t yield results anymore. Network, network, network.
Not going to lie, it’s a slog but like anything consistency always wins. Best of luck!
@OP it took me 51wks to get a new job, and that was from the Nov.2024 round. The market and the tactics have only grown worse since then. Don’t be so cocky as to think you’ll have no problem. Good luck to you!
@OP if true, we should have LR'ed 10% instead of just 4%. damn, seems missed a chance.
Really? Good luck. Was LR'd a while back. Morphed out of tech after looking for a year. One door opens after another one shuts.
Yes, there are high-paying jobs out there for the most skilled technologists. That's not me. I was lucky to be at Cisco and have a long run. I have found that unless you walk on water technically, or know someone who can line you up to get your next job; well, good luck.
Market is roaring right now. If you can’t find something it’s your lack of useful skills
@b4 Thanks for the crystal ball reading. You should consider psychic work as your next career move.
FYI, I’m 60, so I guess the “cancer train” has already left my station. Unless, of course, your crystal ball says it’s arriving in T-minus 4 days.
@b3 it's okay. Someday it will be your turn to be impacted, and after you've put in 20 applications a day and you stop to take a break, you can also take the time to reflect on your situation. And you'll remember how cringe you sounded years ago when you told someone else to just "adapt" to the mountain against them. Maybe you'll be in your 50s with a cancer diagnosis. It's really fun then
AI engineer or not. If you want a job, start applying. Sitting around writing long posts about the job market is not a strategy.
Yes, the market is harder than it was pre-COVID. So what? Adapt.
If you got laid off, apply. If you’re unhappy and thinking of leaving, apply. Stop wasting everyone’s time and start doing the actual work.
The job market isn't bad if you are an AI Engineer.
For anyone else, it's pretty bad.
The competition is fierce!
Cisco? major tech company?
Keep dreaming. Who is hiring? Some people with the right connections might find work fast. Recruiters aren't job offers. They need to bring in qualified candidates so they want to talk to everyone. The people who do get offers will find out that they are less than you were making.