critical updates: dev job market

Something very weird is going on in the dev job market. 

On one side, companies are asking for developers who are "AI-fluent".

Who use Claude, Cursor, or Copilot on a daily basis. 

As a "velocity multiplier".

Meanwhile, other companies are doing the opposite.

They demand profound "knowledge of core web technologies". Such as DOM, security, performance optimization, and computer science fundamentals.

The issue is with developers who are "stuck in the middle".

If your fundamentals are weak. 

And your AI skills are limited to "asking Claude Code".

Then you are at high risk of extinction.

When they say, "We found someone more Senior," what they are actually saying is... You aren't deep in the only two dimensions we care about right now. 

And finally, there’s a mix.

Companies asking for both “AI fluency”, and strong knowledge of the fundamentals.

Here is where the money is.

(Hint: This "mixed profile" of a developer with strong fundamentals, end-to-end ability to deliver, and AI fluency will be the most in demand in the near future. We can help you get there. Check it out here.)

More updates on the dev job market:

=> You don’t have to be the best, but you have to be first. Job postings get thousands of applications in a few hours. They probably look at the first 100 resumes and pick from those.

=> It is still a “Senior-market”. About 80% of job postings are looking for experienced devs looking for at least 5+ years of experience. If you are not a Senior, you have to at least look like one. Or get to Senior faster. 

=> Salaries are staying more or less the same. Some devs are taking pay cuts, and others are getting pay raises (it comes down to confidence and interviewing skills). Big paychecks (US: 300ks+, EU: 100ks+ are scarce, pure outliers right now)

=> Companies are ruthlessly taking advantage of the market being more competitive. (E.g., they fire a developer making 180ks, just to hire them for 140k, etc.). If you feel overpaid, you might be next.

=> Frontend is going fullstack. Frontend positions are decreasing fast while full-stack ones are increasing(by a factor of 1 to 5). Being able to deliver projects end-to-end is explicitly demanded in front-end job postings (E.g. "Ability to work across the full stack, including infrastructure, backend, web, mobile, and databases.")

=> Most companies don't know what they want. First, they ask for “strong backend fundamentals,” then they want “advanced React state management patterns.” If you interview with one of those… Be prepared for anything. 

=> Networking is overrated. Yes, a referral might get you an interview. But it is limited to your network. And talking to dozens of devs getting referred, it doesn’t guarantee an offer. Cold applying still works great (hint, you can use it to expand your network too).

=> LinkedIn postings, social media, and portfolios are all a huge waste of time. People don’t hire people they like. They hire people they need. Become the developer they think they need. You will have a job in any market. 

=> Job searching is still the most stressful thing you will do as a developer. It will make you, or break you. Don’t get emotionally attached to any company or interview process unless they extend a written offer. They will get you through 6 interview stages and tell you they love your profile, just to reject you with a generic email the day after. Match their commitment. Do not invest emotionally unless you get an offer. Talk to multiple companies at all times. 

Overall, the bar is getting higher. 

The margin for error if you're interviewing is tiny. Unless you use a systematic approach, the job market will drive you insane and burn you out. 

Meanwhile, our students are getting offers 2x to 3x faster than the average developers. 

With pay increases instead of pay cuts.

The recipe is simple:

=> Deep knowledge of the JS stack, ideally full-stack (which includes browser and JS fundamentals, server-side, and infrastructure knowledge)

=> Strong live coding skills (mainly in TypeScript; LeetCode, only medium required) 

=> Solid understanding of system design (frontend & backend)

=> Senior-focused, human-written resume (should convert around 15% to 20%)

=> Constant accountability and feedback from Bogdan and me :)

=> Being surrounded by a community of like-minded devs on the same path

Last spots opened for April are open now.

See if you qualify here. 

Ohh… Please let me know if you like this “update-oriented” kind of email. 

It took me 8+ hours to put it together, lol :) 

Yours,

Dragos 

P.S. Companies looking for "AI fluency" care more about how you use AI models and coding tools… Then about you knowing how models work under the hood: Attention, Transformers, etc. The deepest AI requirement we’ve seen from such companies was being able to “integrate LLMs into an existing app” or to deploy AI agents using RAG, etc. Bogdan teaches this and much more in our SE Mastery Mentorship).

P.S. Last note about the additional kick in the butt to take our Free Technical Assessment if you haven’t already. It only takes 10 minutes, and it will give you a great overview of what you are missing. Cheers!