why nobody is hiring software developers (and what to do about it)

What the heck is going on in software engineering right now? 

100 applicants per developer job posting… In less than 2 to 3 hours.

Insane technical interviews with endless stages. When you finally get an offer, companies change their mind and pull it back... And you are back to zero.

Even if you are employed, things are not much better. I see so many developers sucking up to crappy jobs they are fed off just because they have no other choice. 

Get sh**t at your job… Or get sh**t in the market!

Sure, if this was 2022, most of you would say… "Just wait a few years, tech always recovers."

But damn, it is 2025 already!

We’ve been going like this for the last 2 years… And there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.

The truth is, developers who have been in the game for a while have seen this coming. 

Tech is a very cyclical industry. Full of ups and downs.

After years of cheap money, over-hiring and insane valuations we entered a down cycle. 

It’s okay.

It happens every 10 to 15 years.

You work around it by making big amounts of cash in the up cycle. And making sure you survive during the down cycle. 

The key is to stay in the game.

Not to start a bakery. Not to become a plumber. 

To navigate the storm and wait out until the good times are back. 

So, how can you make it during a “down cycle”?

Here's how:

1. Be flexible - Here’s a lesson from nature. To survive, you gotta be willing to move. To change habitat. Is not the strangest or more intelligent that survives. Is the most able to adapt. Developers who will make the best out of this down cycle are the ones who are willing to adapt. To change the tech stack. To change habits. Which brings me to the next point…

2. Be versatile, become fullstack - Most software companies are not big companies. Most tech teams inside non tech companies are not big either. The smaller a team is, the more they need fullstack people. This over-specialized trend, like having one developer to design a freaking button worked in the past when tech teams were massive. That trend has fully reversed. 

3. Get to Senior - The #1 thing companies care about in a downturn is profitability. To be profitable, you need to be efficient. To do the right things, and do them right. So the whole sector is converging towards Senior devs. Even managers are either getting laid off, or moved back to technical roles. Back to coding. Seniors are the only hire that makes sense. 

4. Forget Big Tech - Look outside fancy technology firms. Companies hiring devs right now are mostly not-tech companies. In the next decade tech will expand to the “old industry”. Hospitals, military bases and energy companies all need software. They haven’t been affected by inflation or anything like that. They need fresh tech talent. Go check them out. Be prepared for a culture shock though! 

5. Be realistic, but stay optimistic - Human psychology has one big flaw. It tends to think in binaries. Black and white stuff. People are either kind or evil. AI is either going to replace us all.. Or just a big scam. Software development is either the best job in the world or going to disappear tomorrow. In a complex world, the truth is complex. Yes, in the short term software dev might seem like it is shirking (and it not AI, is simple economics that I might discuss in another newsletter). In the long run software will keep on growing. Even faster than today. Every company will indeed be a software company. Don’t believe me? Try to do anything these days without software!

Okay, long email again. 

But I had no choice. Is a complex subject. 

Ohh and by the way…

Happy Friday folks! 

Dragos

P.S. You don't win many games by playing defense. If you are willing to make the most out of this mess with a clear path to Senior level, direct mentorship from Bogdan and I and an incredible community... Let's have a quick chat! It might as well change your life :)

P.S. Another CEO realising AI is a mirage and humans are the key to progress… Well, wait until they change their mind about software devs! Hope ya are still around cause it is gonna be a big party for those devs who did not throw their cards :)