AI and Tech Industry Shifts Leave Computer Science Graduates Struggling for Jobs

The computer science dream has become a nightmare | TechCrunch

Well, the coding-equals-prosperity promise has officially collapsed. Fresh computer science graduates are facing unemployment rates of 6.1% to 7.5% -- more than double what biology and art history majors are experiencing, according to a recent Federal Reserve Bank of New York study. A crushing New York Times piece highlights what's happening on the ground. The individual stories are surreal. Manasi Mishra, 21, graduated from Purdue after being promised six-figure starting salaries, only to receive a single interview, at Chipotle. (She didn't get the job.) Zach Taylor has applied to nearly 6,000 tech jobs since graduating from Oregon State in 2023, landing just 13 interviews and zero offers. He was even rejected by McDonald's for "lack of experience." The alleged culprits? AI programming eliminating junior positions, while Amazon, Meta and Microsoft slash jobs. Students say they're trapped in an "AI doom loop" -- using AI to mass-apply while companies use AI to auto-reject them, sometimes within minutes. Thankfully, Mishra landed a job after one cold application that worked out. It's not in software engineering.

Computer Science Grads Struggle to Find Jobs in the A.I. Age

Natasha Singer covers tech companies and their social impacts. Growing up near Silicon Valley, Manasi Mishra remembers seeing tech executives on social media urging students to study computer programming. "The rhetoric was, if you just learned to code, work hard and get a computer science degree, you can get six figures for your starting salary," Ms. Mishra, now 21, recalls hearing as she grew up in San Ramon, Calif. Those golden industry promises helped spur Ms. Mishra to code her first website in elementary school, take advanced computing in high school and major in computer science in college. But after a year of hunting for tech jobs and internships, Ms. Mishra graduated from Purdue University in May without an offer. "I just graduated with a computer science degree, and the only company that has called me for an interview is Chipotle," Ms. Mishra said in a get-ready-with-me TikTok video this summer that has since racked up more than 147,000 views. Since the early 2010s, a parade of billionaires, tech executives and even U.S. presidents has urged young people to learn coding, arguing that the tech skills would help bolster students' job prospects as well as the economy. Tech companies promised computer science graduates high salaries and all manner of perks. "Typically their starting salary is more than $100,000," plus $15,000 hiring bonuses and stock grants worth $50,000, Brad Smith, a top Microsoft executive, said in 2012 as he kicked off a company campaign to get more high schools to teach computing. The financial incentives, plus the chance to work on popular apps, quickly fed a boom in computer science education, the study of computer programming and processes like algorithms. Last year, the number of undergraduates majoring in the field topped 170,000 in the United States -- more than double the number in 2014, according to the Computing Research Association, a nonprofit that gathers data annually from about 200 universities. But now, the spread of A.I. programming tools, which can quickly generate thousands of lines of computer code -- combined with layoffs at companies like Amazon, Intel, Meta and Microsoft -- is dimming prospects in a field that tech leaders promoted for years as a golden career ticket. The turnabout is derailing the employment dreams of many new computing grads and sending them scrambling for other work. Among college graduates ages 22 to 27, computer science and computer engineering majors are facing some of the highest unemployment rates, 6.1 percent and 7.5 percent respectively, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That is more than double the unemployment rate among recent biology and art history graduates, which is just 3 percent. "I'm very concerned," said Jeff Forbes, a former program director for computer science education and workforce development at the National Science Foundation. "Computer science students who graduated three or four years ago would have been fighting off offers from top firms -- and now that same student would be struggling to get a job from anyone." In response to questions from The New York Times, more than 150 college students and recent graduates -- from state schools including the universities of Maryland, Texas and Washington, as well as private universities like Cornell and Stanford -- shared their experiences. Some said they had applied to hundreds, and in several cases thousands, of tech jobs at companies, nonprofits and government agencies. The process can be arduous, with tech companies asking candidates to complete online coding assessments and, for those who do well, live coding tests and interviews. But many computing graduates said their monthslong job quests often ended in intense disappointment or worse: companies ghosting them. Some faulted the tech industry, saying they felt "gaslit" about their career prospects. Others described their job search experiences as "bleak," "disheartening" or "soul-crushing." Among them was Zach Taylor, 25, who enrolled as a computer science major at Oregon State University in 2019 partly because he had loved programming video games in high school. Tech industry jobs seemed plentiful at the time. Since graduating in 2023, however, Mr. Taylor said, he has applied for 5,762 tech jobs. His diligence has resulted in 13 job interviews but no full-time job offers. The job search has been one of "the most demoralizing experiences I have ever had to go through," he added. The electronics firm where he had a software engineering internship last year was not able to hire him, he said. This year, he applied for a job at McDonald's to help cover expenses, but he was rejected "for lack of experience," he said. He has since moved back home to Sherwood, Ore., and is receiving unemployment benefits. "It is difficult to find the motivation to keep applying," said Mr. Taylor, adding that he was now building personal software projects to show prospective employers. Computing graduates are feeling particularly squeezed because tech firms are embracing A.I. coding assistants, reducing the need for some companies to hire junior software engineers. The trend is evident in downtown San Francisco, where billboard ads for A.I. tools like CodeRabbit promise to debug code faster and better than humans. "The unfortunate thing right now, specifically for recent college grads, is those positions that are most likely to be automated are the entry-level positions that they would be seeking," said Matthew Martin, U.S. senior economist at Oxford Economics, a forecasting firm. Tracy Camp, the executive director of the Computing Research Association, said new computer science graduates might be particularly hard hit this year because many universities were just now starting to train students on A.I. coding tools, the newest skills sought by tech companies. Some graduates described feeling caught in an A.I. "doom loop." Many job seekers now use specialized A.I. tools like Simplify to tailor their résumés to specific jobs and autofill application forms, enabling them to quickly apply to many jobs. At the same time, companies inundated with applicants are using A.I. systems to automatically scan résumés and reject candidates. To try to stand out, Audrey Roller, a recent data science graduate from Clark University in Worcester, Mass., said she highlighted her human skills, like creativity, on her job applications, which she writes herself, unassisted by chatbots. But after she recently applied for a job, she said, a rejection email arrived three minutes later. "Some companies are using A.I. to screen candidates and removing the human aspect," Ms. Roller, 22, said. "It's hard to stay motivated when you feel like an algorithm determines whether you get to pay your bills." Recent graduates looking for government tech jobs also report increased hurdles. Jamie Spoeri, who graduated this year from Georgetown University, said she majored in computing because she loved the logical approach to problem-solving. During college, she also learned about the environmental impacts of A.I. and grew interested in tech policy. Last summer, she had an internship at the National Science Foundation where she worked on national security and technology issues, like the supply of critical minerals. She has since applied for more than 200 government, industry and nonprofit jobs, she said. But recent government cutbacks and hiring freezes have made getting federal jobs difficult, she said, while A.I. coding tools have made getting entry-level software jobs at companies harder. "It's demoralizing to lose out on opportunities because of A.I.," said Ms. Spoeri, 22, who grew up in Chicago. "But I think, if we can adapt and rise to the challenge, it can also open up new opportunities." Prominent computing education boosters are now pivoting to A.I. President Trump, who in 2017 directed federal funding toward computer science in schools, recently unveiled a national A.I. action plan that includes channeling more students into A.I. jobs. Microsoft, a major computing education sponsor, recently said it would provide $4 billion in technology and funding for A.I. training for students and workers. Last month, Mr. Smith, Microsoft's president, said the company was also assessing how A.I. was changing computer science education. Ms. Mishra, the Purdue graduate, did not get the burrito-making gig at Chipotle. But her side hustle as a beauty influencer on TikTok, she said, helped her realize that she was more enthusiastic about tech marketing and sales than software engineering. The realization prompted Ms. Mishra to apply cold for a tech company sales position that she found online. The company offered her the tech sales job in July.

'Gaslit' and ghosted: New tech grads face AI-driven hurdles in search for jobs

Learning to code and working hard hasn't been quite enough to land the coveted tech jobs and six-figure starting salaries that computer science graduates were promised, according to a new report in The New York Times this weekend. As the industry grapples with layoffs and the rise of artificial intelligence tools that can perform jobs faster, recent grads paint a picture in which they're applying for hundreds if not thousands of tech positions only to be ghosted and left feeling "gaslit" about their career prospects. Some of the grads, who had visions of cruising into the tech workforce with skills that were deemed highly coveted, are resorting to jobs in the fast food industry. "It is difficult to find the motivation to keep applying," said an Oregon State University grad who has applied for 5,762 tech jobs since graduating in 2023, according to the Times. He's had 13 job interviews but no full-time job offers. The Times says the spread of AI is not helping, as tech firms embracing AI coding assistants reduces the need for some companies to hire junior software engineers. Other firms are using AI to automatically scan resumes and reject candidates. Some graduates described feeling caught in an AI "doom loop," The Times reported. Another data science graduate told the Times that she received a rejection email three minutes after applying for a job. More companies are using AI to screen candidates and are removing the human element from the process. Seattle-based Humanly unveiled "AI interviewers" last month in which job candidates interact with an AI-generated video interviewer. "It's hard to stay motivated when you feel like an algorithm determines whether you get to pay your bills," the grad told the Times. While the report does namecheck Amazon and Microsoft for recent layoffs and an embrace of AI tools, and University of Washington students and graduates are among those who replied to questions from the Times, a GeekWire report last month offered a different perspective. In that story, Amazon was said to have hired more than 100 engineers from the latest graduating class at UW's Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering -- an all-time high, according to university data shared with GeekWire. Microsoft, Meta and Google were each hiring more than 20 UW CSE grads, reflecting a strong talent pipeline between the UW and Seattle's tech industry. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that while the U.S. labor market is cooling, AI can be ruled out -- so far -- as a culprit in any hiring slowdown. U.S. workers whose jobs involve tasks that AI can do are actually much less likely than other workers to be unemployed, according to an analysis by the Economic Innovation Group.

Computer Science Grads Are Being Forced to Work Fast Food Jobs as AI Tanks Their Career

Until very recently, studying computer science -- or some variation thereof -- was considered among the best bets an incoming college freshman could make. Now, as the New York Times reports based on interviews with experts and recent CS graduates alike, those who did are struggling to find work in fast food, nevermind as entry-level coders, amid massive tech industry layoffs -- 592 per day, according to the Tech Layoff Tracker from the Trueup jobs platform -- and rampant use of AI coding tools. Born near Silicon Valley, 21-year-old Manasi Mishra said she was told from a young age that "if you just learned to code, work hard and get a computer science degree, you can get six figures for your starting salary." A precocious programmer herself, Mishra told the NYT that she made her first website as an elementary schooler and took advanced CS courses in high school before pursuing a degree in the field at Purdue. None of that seemed to prepare her for the AI shockwave that accompanied her graduation this past spring. Instead of fighting off offers, the young programmer left college jobless -- and in a now-viral TikTok video, admitted that she was interviewing at Chipotle, the fast-casual burrito chain, for a job she ultimately did not get. In a NYT survey of more than 150 current college students and recent grads seeking to break into the tech industry, the youthful respondents shared similar stories of desperation and hopelessness. With an AI sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, these would-be tech workers are now forced to contend with a tech job market sucked dry by AI. While some told the newspaper that they felt "gaslit" by the tech industry with its promises of massive "learn to code" investment returns, others said their primary emotion was one of depression when surveying the "soul-crushing" lack of prospects ahead of them. It's not hard to see why: recent statistics from the New York Federal Reserve found that CS grads have a 6.1 percent unemployment rate, up from the 5.8 average for all recent grads. (Computer engineering majors, meanwhile, fare even worse, with their unemployment rate at a whopping 7.5 percent). One such recent graduate, 25-year-old Zach Taylor, told the NYT that when he started his CS program at Oregon State University in 2019, job prospects seemed endless. By the time he graduated in 2023, in the midst of the first wave of AI-influenced tech layoffs, that rosy outlook was but a distant memory. Despite getting an internship at a software firm last year, Taylor wasn't hired full-time. In the two years since his graduation, he has, by his count, applied to 5,762 jobs -- and only gotten interviews from 13, none of which led anywhere. Unsurprisingly, Taylor considers his post-grad job hunt one of the "most demoralizing experiences I have ever had to go through" -- and given that he was rejected from a job at McDonald's "for lack of experience," it's hard to argue with that assessment. "It is difficult to find the motivation to keep applying," the Gen Z job-seeker told the newspaper. He has since moved back to his hometown in Oregon and is receiving unemployment benefits to keep him afloat. Stranded in such an impossible scenario -- one that seems to surpass even the trials and tribulations experienced by millennials, who were thrust into a similarly hostile labor landscape after the market crash of 2008 -- it's hard to say what will come next. Unfortunately, until the AI bubble bursts for real, the prospects don't look very good.

Goodbye, $165,000 tech jobs. Student coders seek work at Chipotle

Growing up near Silicon Valley, Manasi Mishra remembers seeing tech executives on social media urging students to study computer programming. "The rhetoric was, if you just learned to code, work hard and get a computer science degree, you can get six figures for your starting salary," Mishra, now 21, recalls hearing as she grew up in San Ramon, California. Those golden industry promises helped spur Mishra to code her first website in elementary school, take advanced computing in high school and major in computer science in college. But after a year of hunting for tech jobs and internships, Mishra graduated from Purdue University in May without an offer. "I just graduated with a computer science degree, and the only company that has called me for an interview is Chipotle," Mishra said in a get-ready-with-me TikTok video this summer that has since racked up more than 147,000 views. Since the early 2010s, a parade of billionaires, tech executives and even U.S. presidents has urged young people to learn coding, arguing that the tech skills would help bolster students' job prospects as well as the economy. Tech companies promised computer science graduates high salaries and all manner of perks. "Typically their starting salary is more than $100,000," plus $15,000 hiring bonuses and stock grants worth $50,000, Brad Smith, a top Microsoft executive, said in 2012 as he kicked off a company campaign to get more high schools to teach computing. The financial incentives, plus the chance to work on popular apps, quickly fed a boom in computer science education, the study of computer programming and processes like algorithms. Last year, the number of undergraduates majoring in the field topped 170,000 in the United States -- more than double the number in 2014, according to the Computing Research Association, a nonprofit that gathers data annually from about 200 universities. But now, the spread of AI programming tools, which can quickly generate thousands of lines of computer code -- combined with layoffs at companies like Amazon, Intel, Meta and Microsoft -- is dimming prospects in a field that tech leaders promoted for years as a golden career ticket. The turnabout is derailing the employment dreams of many new computing grads and sending them scrambling for other work. Among college graduates ages 22 to 27, computer science and computer engineering majors are facing some of the highest unemployment rates, 6.1% and 7.5% respectively, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That is more than double the unemployment rate among recent biology and art history graduates, which is just 3%. "I'm very concerned," said Jeff Forbes, a former program director for computer science education and workforce development at the National Science Foundation. "Computer science students who graduated three or four years ago would have been fighting off offers from top firms -- and now that same student would be struggling to get a job from anyone." In response to questions from The New York Times, more than 150 college students and recent graduates -- from state schools including the universities of Maryland, Texas and Washington, as well as private universities like Cornell and Stanford -- shared their experiences. Some said they had applied to hundreds, and in several cases thousands, of tech jobs at companies, nonprofits and government agencies. The process can be arduous, with tech companies asking candidates to complete online coding assessments and, for those who do well, live coding tests and interviews. But many computing graduates said their monthslong job quests often ended in intense disappointment or worse: companies ghosting them. Some faulted the tech industry, saying they felt "gaslit" about their career prospects. Others described their job search experiences as "bleak," "disheartening" or "soul-crushing." Among them was Zach Taylor, 25, who enrolled as a computer science major at Oregon State University in 2019 partly because he had loved programming video games in high school. Tech industry jobs seemed plentiful at the time. Since graduating in 2023, however, Taylor said, he has applied for 5,762 tech jobs. His diligence has resulted in 13 job interviews but no full-time job offers. The job search has been one of "the most demoralizing experiences I have ever had to go through," he added. The electronics firm where he had a software engineering internship last year was not able to hire him, he said. This year, he applied for a job at McDonald's to help cover expenses, but he was rejected "for lack of experience," he said. He has since moved back home to Sherwood, Oregon, and is receiving unemployment benefits. "It is difficult to find the motivation to keep applying," said Taylor, adding that he was now building personal software projects to show prospective employers. Computing graduates are feeling particularly squeezed because tech firms are embracing AI coding assistants, reducing the need for some companies to hire junior software engineers. The trend is evident in downtown San Francisco, where billboard ads for AI tools like CodeRabbit promise to debug code faster and better than humans. "The unfortunate thing right now, specifically for recent college grads, is those positions that are most likely to be automated are the entry-level positions that they would be seeking," said Matthew Martin, U.S. senior economist at Oxford Economics, a forecasting firm. Tracy Camp, executive director of the Computing Research Association, said new computer science graduates might be particularly hard hit this year because many universities were just now starting to train students on AI coding tools, the newest skills sought by tech companies. Some graduates described feeling caught in an AI "doom loop." Many job seekers now use specialized AI tools like Simplify to tailor their resumes to specific jobs and autofill application forms, enabling them to quickly apply to many jobs. At the same time, companies inundated with applicants are using AI systems to automatically scan resumes and reject candidates. To try to stand out, Audrey Roller, a recent data science graduate from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, said she highlighted her human skills, like creativity, on her job applications, which she writes herself, unassisted by chatbots. But after she recently applied for a job, she said, a rejection email arrived three minutes later. "Some companies are using AI to screen candidates and removing the human aspect," Roller, 22, said. "It's hard to stay motivated when you feel like an algorithm determines whether you get to pay your bills." Recent graduates looking for government tech jobs also report increased hurdles. Jamie Spoeri, who graduated this year from Georgetown University, said she majored in computing because she loved the logical approach to problem-solving. During college, she also learned about the environmental impacts of AI and grew interested in tech policy. Last summer, she had an internship at the National Science Foundation, where she worked on national security and technology issues, like the supply of critical minerals. She has since applied for more than 200 government, industry and nonprofit jobs, she said. But recent government cutbacks and hiring freezes have made getting federal jobs difficult, she said, while AI coding tools have made getting entry-level software jobs at companies harder. "It's demoralizing to lose out on opportunities because of AI," said Spoeri, 22, who grew up in Chicago. "But I think, if we can adapt and rise to the challenge, it can also open up new opportunities." Prominent computing education boosters are now pivoting to AI. President Donald Trump, who in 2017 directed federal funding toward computer science in schools, recently unveiled a national AI action plan that includes channeling more students into AI jobs. Microsoft, a major computing education sponsor, recently said it would provide $4 billion in technology and funding for AI training for students and workers. Last month, Smith, Microsoft's president, said the company was also assessing how AI was changing computer science education. Mishra, the Purdue graduate, did not get the burrito-making gig at Chipotle. But her side hustle as a beauty influencer on TikTok, she said, helped her realize that she was more enthusiastic about tech marketing and sales than software engineering. The realization prompted Mishra to apply cold for a tech company sales position that she found online. The company offered her the tech sales job in July.

The big number: $165,000 - The Economic Times

AI is reshaping the tech job market, reducing demand for entry-level coders as AI tools can generate code quickly. Computer science graduates face rising unemployment, with many shifting focus to AI-related roles. Companies and governments are now investing in AI training, seeing it as the future of tech employment.For years computer programming offered a path to a lucrative job. Tech companies in the early 2010s were promising computer science graduates salaries that started at $100,000 and, with extra perks, added up to $165,000. But artificial intelligence is changing that, Natasha Singer of The New York Times reported. AI can quickly generate thousands of lines of computer code, making the need for entry-level coders almost obsolete. The spread of AI, combined with layoffs at big tech companies like Amazon, Meta and Microsoft, has dampened demand for computer programmers. Job applicants are spending months searching for employment, often getting almost instantaneous rejections from companies that rely on AI hiring tools. Even government jobs for coders are harder to come by as the Trump administration has been reducing the federal workforce. As a result, computer science and computer engineering graduates are facing relatively high unemployment rates -- 6% or higher, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That is far above the overall unemployment rate of 4.2%. Many students are now moving away from computer science and instead looking to learn about AI. President Donald Trump recently unveiled a national AI action plan that includes channeling more students into AI jobs. Microsoft also said recently that it was spending $4 billion to help train students in AI. "It's demoralizing to lose out on opportunities because of AI," Jamie Spoeri, a computer science major who graduated this year from Georgetown University, told Singer. "But I think, if we can adapt and rise to the challenge, it can also open up new opportunities."

Goodbye, $165,000 tech jobs, student coders seek work at Chipotle - The Economic Times

Once hailed as a golden career path, computer science drew record enrollments thanks to tech leaders promising high salaries and perks. Now, AI coding tools and tech layoffs are shrinking opportunities, leaving many grads unemployed and shifting industry focus toward AI training, reshaping education and job prospects.Since the early 2010s, a parade of billionaires, tech executives and even US presidents has urged young people to learn coding, arguing that the tech skills would help bolster students' job prospects as well as the economy. Tech companies promised computer science graduates high salaries and all manner of perks. "Typically their starting salary is more than $100,000," plus $15,000 hiring bonuses and stock grants worth $50,000, Brad Smith, a top Microsoft executive, said in 2012 as he kicked off a company campaign to get more high schools to teach computing. The financial incentives, plus the chance to work on popular apps, quickly fed a boom in computer science education, the study of computer programming and processes like algorithms. Last year, the number of undergraduates majoring in the field topped 170,000 in the United States -- more than double the number in 2014, according to the Computing Research Association, a nonprofit. But now, the spread of AI programming tools, which can quickly generate thousands of lines of computer code -- combined with layoffs at companies like Amazon, Intel, Meta and Microsoft -- is dimming prospects in a field that tech leaders promoted for years. The turnabout is derailing the employment dreams of many new computing grads and sending them scrambling for other work. Among college graduates ages 22 to 27, computer science and computer engineering majors are facing some of the highest unemployment rates, 6.1% and 7.5% respectively, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That is more than double the unemployment rate among recent biology and art history graduates, which is just 3%. In response to questions from The New York Times, more than 150 college students and recent graduates -- from state schools as well as private universities -- shared their experiences. Some said they had applied to hundreds, and in several cases thousands, of tech jobs at companies, nonprofits and government agencies. Prominent computing education boosters are now pivoting to AI. President Donald Trump, who in 2017 directed federal funding toward computer science in schools, recently unveiled a national AI action plan that includes channeling more students into AI jobs. Microsoft, a major computing education sponsor, recently said it would provide $4 billion in technology and funding for AI training for students and workers. Last month, Smith said the company was also assessing how AI was changing computer science education.

US computer science degrees from top universities are leaving graduates jobless: Why is top coding education no longer enough?

The once-reliable path to high-paying tech jobs via a computer science degree is facing challenges. AI advancements and industry layoffs contribute to rising unemployment among recent graduates. Experts advise focusing on specialized skills and a deeper understanding of physical sciences, as the demand shifts from basic coding to problem-solving and innovation. The long-standing belief that earning a computer science degree from a top American university guarantees a high-paying job is facing growing challenges. Despite booming enrollments and soaring expectations, many recent graduates are struggling to find employment in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. According to a report from The New York Times, a combination of shifting industry demands and the rise of artificial intelligence is leaving new computer science graduates unemployed and frustrated. For over a decade, students like Manasi Mishra were inspired by industry leaders who touted computer science as the ultimate pathway to success. Growing up near Silicon Valley, Manasi absorbed the message loud and clear: "If you just learned to code, work hard and get a computer science degree, you can get six figures for your starting salary," she recalls. This promise pushed her to start coding websites as a child, take advanced computing courses in high school, and finally major in computer science at Purdue University. Technology giants reinforced these expectations. In 2012, Brad Smith, then a top Microsoft executive, highlighted that computer science graduates typically earned starting salaries above $100,000, with generous bonuses and stock grants. This promise fueled an education boom. According to the Computing Research Association, the number of undergraduate computer science majors in the US more than doubled from 2014 to over 170,000 last year. However, the job market has shifted drastically. The introduction of AI programming tools capable of generating and debugging code has reduced the need for junior software engineers. Simultaneously, major tech companies such as Amazon, Intel, Meta, and Microsoft have executed significant layoffs. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that unemployment rates for recent college graduates in computer science and computer engineering stand at 6.1 percent and 7.5 percent respectively. These figures far exceed unemployment among recent graduates in fields like biology or art history, where the rate is around 3 percent. Many graduates face a grueling job search. Students from a range of institutions, including Maryland, Texas, Cornell, and Stanford, reported applying to hundreds or even thousands of jobs. Yet, months of effort often ended with no interviews or offers. The job search process has become emotionally taxing, with some graduates describing it as "bleak," "disheartening," or "soul-crushing." Several candidates said they felt "gaslit" by the industry's earlier promises of easy success. A key factor behind the bleak job prospects is AI's increasing role in software development. Entry-level coding jobs, which traditionally served as a stepping stone for new graduates, are now most vulnerable to automation. Tools like CodeRabbit promise to debug code faster than human engineers, causing firms to rethink their hiring strategies. Graduates also face an AI "doom loop" during applications. Many use AI tools to tailor résumés and autofill applications quickly, while employers employ AI-driven systems to automatically filter and reject candidates, removing human judgment from the hiring process. In this changing landscape, experts urge students to rethink their approach. Sameer Samat, Google's Android chief, highlights that a computer science degree alone no longer guarantees success. "If all you want to do is learn Java or Python, you don't need a degree," he said. Instead, passion, deep expertise, and problem-solving skills are what set candidates apart. Samat advises aspiring engineers to focus on becoming top experts in a niche they care about, whether that be system design, AI, or user experience. This specialized knowledge increasingly drives hiring decisions at major tech firms. Industry leaders like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang suggest that the future of technology will demand a deeper understanding of physical sciences rather than just software coding. Huang describes a shift toward "Reasoning AI" and "Physical AI," where machines will need to comprehend real-world physics such as forces, friction, and inertia. This perspective aligns with voices like Telegram's Pavel Durov and Elon Musk, who emphasize the importance of mathematics and physics as foundational tools for future innovation. Adding to the uncertainty is the financial burden many students face. Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu recently cautioned against taking on large education loans for foreign degrees, especially as job opportunities become scarce. He advocates for employer-funded training programs and broader acceptance of alternative credentials, arguing this approach could prevent students from being trapped in debt. The era when a computer science degree from a reputed US university was a sure ticket to success is coming to an end. With AI reshaping the industry and job markets contracting, graduates must adapt by developing specialized skills, embracing lifelong learning, and being open to alternative career pathways. For students and educators alike, the focus must shift from coding syntax to deep problem-solving and understanding the interplay between technology and the physical world.

A CS degree from a top US college and solid coding skills, yet the only interview call is from a fast-food chain after a 4-month wait

A computer science graduate, Manasi Mishra is facing job search challenges despite her qualifications. Tech giants are cutting jobs and using AI. Unemployment is high for recent computer science graduates. Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu warns against heavy student loans. Experts advise focusing on physics and math over basic coding. The tech industry is changing rapidly, impacting job security. Manasi Mishra graduated from the prestigious Purdue University with a computer science degree in May, a milestone she expected would open many doors in the tech industry. Growing up in California, she had nurtured a deep interest in computers from a young age. She learned coding early, built her own website while still in elementary school, and took advanced computing courses in high school. With this solid foundation and a respected degree, she was confident that finding a job in software engineering would be a natural next step. However, despite her hard work and qualifications, the reality has been disappointing. Since graduation, she has been actively seeking employment but has only received one substantial interview offer -- and that was from Chipotle, a fast-food franchise. Mishra shared her frustration with The New York Times, explaining that the common belief that simply learning to code and obtaining a computer science degree guarantees a well-paying job no longer holds true. Her experience highlights a growing challenge faced by many recent graduates in the field, as job opportunities in software engineering become scarcer, especially with the rapid advances in artificial intelligence reshaping the industry landscape. Her struggle reflects a broader shift in the tech hiring landscape. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, unemployment rates among recent graduates in computer science and computer engineering stand at 6.1% and 7.5% respectively -- among the highest for any major. Industry giants like Microsoft and Amazon have cut thousands of jobs while embracing AI-powered coding tools that can automate large parts of a developer's work. This has left many entry-level programmers competing for fewer openings, often without the industry's once-reliable safety net of abundant junior roles. Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has also sounded the alarm on the risks students face in today's uncertain job market. In a recent post on X, he described a case of a student who borrowed ₹70 lakh ($80,000) at 12% annual interest to study at a lesser-known US university -- only to find IT job opportunities scarce. "I urge students and parents to be cautious in borrowing heavily to pursue degrees abroad," Vembu wrote, warning that both in India and overseas, saddling young graduates with high-interest loans can leave them trapped without stable employment. He urged companies to invest in training and skill development instead of relying solely on formal degrees. Former Indian Minister of State for Electronics, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, recently advised students to rethink their approach. Quoting Elon Musk and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, he said in the AI era, physics, mathematics, and conceptual thinking will matter more than routine coding skills. "As AI tools become more capable of writing and debugging code, the value of basic programming skills is decreasing," he wrote, urging students to focus on problem-solving and scientific fundamentals. For Manasi, the contrast is stark: top-class education, strong skills, and passion for coding -- yet only a fast-food interview after months of searching. Her story is becoming increasingly common in a tech industry reshaped by automation, AI, and cost-cutting. In the past, a degree from a leading US university was seen as a ticket to a well-paying, secure role. Now, it is a reminder that even the best credentials may not guarantee a career in a sector where the rules are rapidly being rewritten.

$165,000 tech dreams shatter as job market tanks -- Computer Science grads now serving at Chipotle

Recent computer science graduates are facing unexpected challenges in the job market. Mass layoffs and AI automation have significantly reduced entry-level coding positions, leading many to seek employment in the service industry. The once-promising path to high-paying tech jobs now feels uncertain for the class of 2024, prompting a shift in career expectations. Fresh computer science graduates, who were promised $165K salaries and limitless opportunities, are now facing mass layoffs, AI competition, and ghosted job applications. Many people are turning to the service industry while looking for dwindling tech jobs, revealing a stark shift in a job market that used to guarantee high pay and security. There was a time when "learn to code" seemed like a golden ticket. Today, many new computer science graduates see it as a ticket to nowhere. With layoffs sweeping the tech industry and AI replacing entry-level coders, some are trading laptops for aprons and it's breaking their spirits. High school counselors, tech CEOs, and even presidents have been telling kids for years to learn how to code. The offer was too good to pass up: get a degree in computer science, work hard, and you could get a job with a six-figure salary, great benefits, and a career that would last forever, as per a report by The NY Times. ALSO READ: Orca attack mystery: What really happened to marine trainer Jessica Radcliffe But that dream has died for today's new graduates. The job market is unlike anything we've seen in over ten years for the class of 2024. Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and Intel are just a few of the big companies that have cut thousands of jobs. AI programming assistants can also make whole codebases in seconds, so many companies no longer need teams of junior developers, as per a report by The NY Times. Manasi Mishra, 21, grew up in San Ramon, California. She made her first website in elementary school and has always been interested in computer science. She graduated from Purdue in May, but she didn't get any job offers. The only thing she got was an interview with Chipotle. Not just her. According to data from the Federal Reserve, the unemployment rate for recent computer science graduates has risen to over 6%, which is twice as high as the rate for some liberal arts majors. It's a shocking change for a field that used to be full of job offers, as per a report by The NY Times. ALSO READ: What's coming in iPhone 17? Rumors suggest Apple's most ambitious update ever Many junior jobs are quietly going away because of AI tools like CodeRabbit and GitHub Copilot. Matthew Martin, a senior economist at Oxford Economics, says, "The jobs that are most likely to be automated are the ones that recent grads want." Algorithms are now often used to help with the hiring process. AI scans resumes, ranks them, and rejects most of them in minutes. Many applicants never talk to a person. Audrey Roller, who just graduated, said she got one rejection just three minutes after she applied. The end result? A loop that makes you feel bad. Graduates use AI tools to apply faster, companies use AI to sort through applications faster, and people get lost in the process. Some, like Zach Taylor, a graduate of Oregon State, are never-ending. He has applied for more than 5,700 tech jobs and hasn't gotten any. Some are changing direction. After almost getting hit by a car while eating at Chipotle, Mishra realized she liked tech marketing more than just coding. She sent in an application for a sales job at a tech company without knowing anyone there, and she finally got the job, as per a report by The NY Times. At the same time, leaders in the industry are changing their pep talks from "learn to code" to "learn AI." Microsoft has promised billions of dollars for AI training, and policymakers are trying to figure out how to get students ready for an industry that changes faster than any syllabus can keep up. The story of America's newest computer science graduates is a sad one: the time when they could be sure of getting high-paying tech jobs is over. And while some will change, a lot of people are finding out that a degree in coding doesn't guarantee a good job in 2024, as per a report by The NY Times. Why are so many new computer science graduates struggling to find work? Layoffs at major tech firms, combined with AI tools that automate coding tasks, have sharply reduced entry-level opportunities. Are some CS grads really applying for fast-food jobs? Yes, some have applied to restaurants like Chipotle or McDonald's just to cover expenses while waiting for tech openings.

Coding students whose jobs were taken by AI forced to find work at...

When Manasi Mishra began studying computer science, she envisioned a future writing code for major tech companies, not rolling burritos. But the recent Purdue University graduate has been unable to land a job in her chosen field as tech companies increasingly turn to artificial intelligence to perform entry-level tasks. "I just graduated with a computer science degree, and the only company that has called me for an interview is Chipotle," the frustrated Mishra said in a TikTok video earlier this summer, which has been viewed nearly 150,000 times. Mishra's experience underscores a jarring shift in the job market for new coders. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the unemployment rate for recent computer science graduates is 6.1%, and 7.5% for computer engineering majors -- both above the 5.3% average for all recent graduates and roughly double the 3% rate for majors like biology and art history. "I'm very concerned," Jeff Forbes, a former program director for computer science education and workforce development at the National Science Foundation, told the New York Times. "Computer science students who graduated three or four years ago would have been fighting off offers from top firms -- and now that same student would be struggling to get a job from anyone." For more than a decade, tech leaders, billionaires and even US presidents encouraged young people to "learn to code," promising that programming skills would all but guarantee a six-figure starting salary and job security. While there have been a handful of winners in the AI economy, with some commanding enormous paychecks as valuations of AI firms skyrocket. the majority of those companies employ relatively few people. Dario Amodei, chief executive of AI developer Anthropic, has warned that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within the next one to five years. The arrival of AI coding assistants such as GitHub Copilot, CodeRabbit and others has accelerated the decline for entry-level programming roles, which are among the easiest for companies to automate. Economists and industry executives say the hiring slowdown is also tied to post-pandemic overstaffing, aggressive cost-cutting, high interest rates and widespread hiring freezes. While experts debate how much of the current downturn is directly caused by AI versus the business cycle, there's little disagreement that junior coding positions are under intense pressure. The result is a labor market that looks very different from a few years ago. Zach Taylor, a 2023 graduate of Oregon State University, told the Times he's applied for nearly 5,800 tech jobs, leading to just 13 interviews and zero offers. Even the company where he interned couldn't take him on full-time. After trying to land a role at McDonald's and being rejected "for lack of experience," he moved back home to Sherwood, Ore., and began collecting unemployment. "It is difficult to find the motivation to keep applying," he told the Times. For many job seekers, the application process has become a gauntlet: online coding assessments, live technical tests and multiple interviews, only to be turned down or ignored. Some describe the experience as "bleak" or "soul-crushing." Others say they feel "gaslit" by an industry that once told them software skills were a golden ticket. In San Francisco, billboards advertise AI coding tools that promise to write or debug code faster than humans. CodeRabbit, while not as widely used as Copilot, is praised for features like real-time collaboration and context-aware code reviews. These tools, coupled with a glut of applicants, mean companies can produce more software with fewer junior engineers. Audrey Roller, who recently graduated with a degree in data science from Worcester, Mass.-based Clark University, told the Times she writes her own applications without AI tools in hopes of standing out from the automated crowd. But when one company sent a rejection email just three minutes after she applied, she suspected an algorithm had made the decision. "Some companies are using AI to screen candidates and removing the human aspect," she told the Times. The downturn has also gutted a parallel pipeline into tech: coding bootcamps. For over a decade, these intensive programs offered a route into high-paying engineering jobs for people without traditional computer science degrees. Now, many are seeing their job placement rates collapse, Reuters reported. Jonathan Kim, who paid nearly $20,000 for a part-time program at Codesmith in 2023, has applied to more than 600 software engineering roles with no offers. He now works at his uncle's ice cream shop in Los Angeles while continuing to code on open-source projects. "They sold a fake dream of a great job market," he told Reuters. At Codesmith, just 37% of students in the 2023 part-time cohort landed full-time tech jobs within six months, down from 83% in late 2021, according to the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting. Placement rates at other bootcamps have similarly fallen into the 37-50% range for some cohorts. The company told Reuters that the market is "tough" but notes that 70% of its full-time graduates found jobs within a year. Industry veterans say this environment is pushing tech companies back toward a traditional hiring model that favors graduates of elite universities such as MIT and Stanford, reversing some of the diversity gains bootcamps once supported. "They're sending their recruiters to MIT and Stanford and wining and dining the top students," Michael Novati, co-founder of Formation Dev, which trains experienced engineers for interviews, told Reuters.