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Data showing the 2024 tech job market is far stronger than 2023

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Re: Data showing the 2024 tech job market is far stronger than 2023

#11

Post by softwaredoug »

I do a lot of coffee chats with new grads, recruiters, job seekers

What I find is that general development is seen as less desirable compared to the boom of 2021. Due to AI, lots of supply on the market, outsourcing, etc. It's just seen as a commodity.

People recognize they want to specialize into more technical areas. Of course there's AI/ML. But I also see this in high-performance ops, native programming (ie Rust, etc), search/recommendations/RAG, and the like.

So like past recessions, the old jobs don't entirely "come back". But rather a set of jobs stays commodotized, while new areas of the economy are forged/specialized.

Another pattern is hiring only senior+ to focus more on quick wins rather than building out a team for long-term success. It's really hard to be a junior right now. I hope that changes as teams recognize they need to focus not on near-term gains, but building sustainable teams into the future.

Re: Data showing the 2024 tech job market is far stronger than 2023

#12

Post by morningsam »

I don't know if TrueUp incorporates this data, but https://data.indeed.com/ shows the number of software dev postings in the US has started to plateau at a level roughly matching the early-COVID crash (Spring 2020), while in central Europe (Germany and France) it's also around that level (bit higher for France) but still rapidly declining with no end in sight.

Re: Data showing the 2024 tech job market is far stronger than 2023

#13

Post by HeyTomesei »

morningsam wrote: post #12

I don't know if TrueUp incorporates this data, but https://data.indeed.com/ shows the number of software dev postings in the US has started to plateau at a level roughly matching the early-COVID crash (Spring 2020), while in central Europe (Germany and France) it's also around that level (bit higher for France) but still rapidly declining with no end in sight.

Nice find - thanks for sharing!

Re: Data showing the 2024 tech job market is far stronger than 2023

#15

Post by dakiol »

softwaredoug wrote: post #11

I do a lot of coffee chats with new grads, recruiters, job seekers What I find is that general development is seen as less desirable compared to the boom of 2021. Due to AI, lots of supply on the market, outsourcing, etc. It's just seen as a commodity. People recognize they want to specialize into more technical areas. Of course there's AI/ML. But I also see this in high-performance ops, native programming (ie Rust,…

> Another pattern is hiring only senior+ to focus more on quick wins rather than building out a team for long-term success

As a senior+ myself, I hate this kind of approach. Companies spending millions in senior+ engineers… and making zero profit.

Re: Data showing the 2024 tech job market is far stronger than 2023

#17

Post by mywittyname »

charlie0 wrote: post #5
mywittyname wrote: post #2

This is good news. I found a new job in early 2024 and it was brutal, it took about 6 months of looking and interviews with ~20 companies, which is a lot considering my prior offer-to-interview ratio was pretty close to 1.000. I still ended up taking a ~40% pay cut and took a job using tech I don't know well.

40% seems like a lot. Were you previously at a FANG level salary?

No, not even close really. $250k TC -> $150k.

Re: Data showing the 2024 tech job market is far stronger than 2023

#18

Post by CM30 »

softwaredoug wrote: post #11

I do a lot of coffee chats with new grads, recruiters, job seekers What I find is that general development is seen as less desirable compared to the boom of 2021. Due to AI, lots of supply on the market, outsourcing, etc. It's just seen as a commodity. People recognize they want to specialize into more technical areas. Of course there's AI/ML. But I also see this in high-performance ops, native programming (ie Rust,…

This definitely seems to correlate with what I've seen too. General web development expertise has far less demand now than it did before, while specialist expertise in particular niche subject areas and combinations of frameworks/languages seems to be doing okay (or at least seeing more job openings again).

So if you've been a company that hasn't been particularly up to date with the goings on in the industry, worked as a typical agency/midsize company Jack of all Trades dev, or you're a bootcamp graduate that learnt React or Angular or whatever in a six week course, it's going to be miserable finding a job in this climate. If you've got specialist experience, things should at least be better now than they were last year.

Re: Data showing the 2024 tech job market is far stronger than 2023

#19

Post by giantg2 »

softwaredoug wrote: post #11

I do a lot of coffee chats with new grads, recruiters, job seekers What I find is that general development is seen as less desirable compared to the boom of 2021. Due to AI, lots of supply on the market, outsourcing, etc. It's just seen as a commodity. People recognize they want to specialize into more technical areas. Of course there's AI/ML. But I also see this in high-performance ops, native programming (ie Rust,…

Short-term focus with senior+ devs has been around for over a decade. Most places do an abysmal job of actually developing people. They just let people get some exposure with little guidance. Then 2-3 years later they're applying to seniorjobs at a different Corp. Nothing is longterm anymore.

Re: Data showing the 2024 tech job market is far stronger than 2023

#20

Post by giantg2 »

mywittyname wrote: post #17
charlie0 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

40% seems like a lot. Were you previously at a FANG level salary?

No, not even close really. $250k TC -> $150k.

Depending on location, that's still good. That's still over the US median for devs.
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