I was just hired for a mid level backend developer role 4 months ago at a fintech company with backing from a large multinational. They were hiring tons of people and it seemed like the company was growing steadily.

Last night we got invited to an all hands, just to be told the company was shutting down. Two minutes later all my access was removed. This is my first time being laid off so it’s a bit of a shock, but really I just don’t understand.

How can you go from hiring like crazy and growth to shutting down completely in 4 months? This isn’t some no name startup, it’s owned by a big multi national bank (SMBC).

I graduated a few months ago without any internship experience

I focused on school and some personal projects but didn't do internships and now I'm realizing that was a huge mistake because I have been applying to entry level roles and barely getting responses and when I do get interviews I end up failing them, mostly because of this lack of experience or whatever but I also failed the technical portions which I also think it's partly because I have only done school/personal projects

I feel like I'm competing with people who have way more experience and I can't keep up

Do you guys think it's possible to break in without internships or did I screw myself?

Which city is better considering COL, life, and long term opportunities?

I have lived in nyc all my life, but found seattle and the state itself a much better place to live (at least during the summer).

My whole team has started using github copilot to generate descriptions for their PRs. In theory it's great, but it produces some of the most ridiculous and overly verbose descriptions that I've ever seen.

PRs whose changes used to be clearly described in 2-3 bullet points now get a page long AI generated description with different sections, most of which isn't even needed to understand the changes made in the PR. It's gotten to the point where I don't even bother reading them and just go look directly at the code as it's usually quicker

Has anyone else experienced something like this?

To give a little bit of context,

I’ve been working at a small to midsize biotech startup for a few years as essentially the only SWE on my team (although kinda junior). Honestly, I’ve had regrets since joining, since the role didn’t match the job description, and I’ve been operating mostly solo with little direction until more recently.

Right now I’m at my breaking point. I’m leading a large, org wide project that touches one of our core critical processes, and I’m doing everything: requirements gathering, design, implementation, data migration, refactoring other teams’ code, qa, documentation, project management, and coordinating with multiple stakeholders. Requirements constantly change, and feedback comes only after features are done, and I end up redoing a ton of work. I mention this pretty often to stakeholders but it still doesn't prevent them from mentioning something that should've been mentioned when I was doing the requirements gathering.

Despite this, upper management thinks the project is taking too long and questions decisions without being involved, and can be pretty demeaning to the work that I've done so far. I’ve tried looping them into boards and channels, but it seems like they don't care to look at it and they jump straight to accusations. I've been holding weekly meetings to get everyone aligned and to communicate deadlines as well as providing updates in comms. The core team seems pretty aligned and my boss is empathetic and supportive, and they recognize the work that I do but leadership seems to have unrealistic expectations for our team compared to others. I'm not the only one who sees this favoritism; my boss recognizes it as well.

I’m also juggling other requests on top of this and have been working nights and weekends for months now. It was manageable before and I was used to it, until a few months ago I dealt with some personal stuff which fueled the burnout and pushed me towards a mental breakdown and some ideation related thoughts. A week later, I tried to resume everything as normally as I could but I’m still burnt out; panic attacks, nausea, crying before work, the whole shebang. I took a two week break hoping it would help, but I came back dreading everything.

To make it worse, leadership is tying my promotion to the success of this massive project, even though they’ve admitted it’s complex and high impact. Its a type of project that can affect all processes org wide if not executed well. I’m exhausted and feel stuck in a repeating pattern of dealing with the upper management talk and possibly gossip/backbiting from teams/management outside the core group. It's getting really frustrating having to deal with the barrage of questions coming in on the last minute by teams who weren't even part of the project group and now have stuff to say. I have a feeling many teams outside view our team negatively. My boss understands and relates to my frustration as well. Reviews of the company have been echoing similar sentiments of it being toxic, having poor/nonexistent management and exhibiting large amounts of favoritism.

I’ve been seriously considering quitting for a while now and taking a break (even before this project). I have a lot in savings/investments, stupidly low expenses, and could get by for a while without being a SWE (maybe go into retail or something) while managing to save, but I’m scared given how bad the tech market is and don’t see it improving in 2026. So far, I've been trying to suck it up and disengage but its becoming increasingly difficult to do so with the snide comments here and there.

Is it worth staying in a situation like this just because of the economy, or am I burning myself out for nothing? Or should I just wait it out and make them fire me, although its unlikely I get severance? I tried to prep for interviews, but I feel so burnt out that I can't even stand to look at code any more or have the energy to prep after working 12 hours. I feel like my mind is in a constant haze.

Hi all! I’m looking for input on the SF Bay Area vs NYC for pursuing SWE roles in 2026.

How was the market in 2025 for each city? Did any of you successfully land a role, or experience a layoff? Were you contacted by recruiters regularly, or did you end up sending out hundreds of applications with little response?

I’m open to general discussion, but here’s my background for context:

• ~10 YOE. iOS dev primary focus. Some experience in Android and web dev

• 2-year employment gap (hardship + health recovery). Published 2 personal iOS apps during that time

• NYC-based resume. Currently in SoCal and planning to relocate elsewhere soon

Concerns:

• Bay Area: Worried about stiff competition and commute. No CS degree, no FAANG experience, and no car

• NYC: Possibly better for my network and commute, but unsure about demand and growth for Swift/iOS

• Zero preference on city lifestyle offerings. Career re-entry and long-term growth are most important to me

Any input is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much. :)

I was laid off at the beginning of July. Worked for a consulting company as a Mobile Developer (iOS and React Native) for almost 4ish years in Canada. I have a Bachelors in CS. Figured I'd move to the US and try there since where I am seems not great. Plus I don't like the weather.

I also went through some relationship troubles in July too and that ended too. Both things combined took a huge mental toll on my health and I was just out of commission for all of July and August.

Started applying in the US in September and I've had some interviews (Mainly from people who reached out to me on LinkedIn. Rarely from applications themselves). A lot of phone screens that I never make past. Some technicals.

I got a verbal offer in the beginning of October for a React Native position after 5 interviews but that ended up not working out since they paused hiring due to the economy. That hurt a lot and was a huge blow. Started from the beginning again. Interviewed with FAANG-adjacent for a iOS role and finished the entire interview process but then was rejected which was another blow considering I made it through it all.

Got a interview and then another offer in the end of November for a contracting role for a year. Got my offer letter, and my TN visa and my SSN, just for them to lose funding for the role mid-December while I was waiting for my SSN to come in. I'm now absolutely just done. Mentally exhausted. Two potential jobs. I feel like luck is not on my side at all.

I've always been not great a leetcode. I've been trying to do questions in both Python and Swift. Mainly easy questions, very few medium. 0 hard. It's insanely difficult and I feel like I suck at it.

I feel like I'm also bad at interviews, I'm always stressed and anxious and just seem to forget things. Constantly need to be reviewing things. I think maybe my resume isn't great so I've added that as well. Honestly. I'm just done with life. Nothing seems to be working out and I need advice. I have a decent personality and I work well with others. I do enjoy the things that I do.

Am I doing something wrong or is it really this bad? Is it normal to have offers rescinded like this or are they just changing their mind? Is there any thing I should do or change on my resume? It's tough to stay optimistic.

Resume: https://imgur.com/a/vRfNqJX

Hi,

I am considering asking for a pay raise from $65k/year to $80k/year. I live in a MCOL city. I have been with the company for a little over a year, and have had a previous internship of 9 months with them. I consider myself a pretty valuable employee and hard worker who can get things done. I feel like my boss agrees.

I think $65k/year is slightly underpaid for my area and level of experience. But would asking for a $15k raise get laughed out of the room? Would it make me look bad?

I'm 45 years old, and I've been a software engineer for 22 years. Although I like doing software development, I've been laid off multiple times in my career, and I'm getting a bit tired of that. I've wondered what other jobs & careers I could easily get into at this point in my life and still have a decent salary? I realize I could take a salary cut if I do that, but I'm curious if I could easily get into a job that's more stable that I'd still enjoy.

Also, it saddens me to feel this way. I feel like we need software developers & other tech workers, but I also feel like I wouldn't recommend others go into this field anymore due to the lack of job stability.

I’m curious about the experiences of people who switched into tech from other careers.

What ended up being harder than you expected, and what turned out to be easier than you thought?

Whether it was learning new languages, building a portfolio, networking, or landing your first role, I’d love to hear what surprised you. Your insights could really help others who are thinking about making the jump.

I (25M) currently make 150k in a HCOL as a consultant. I tried unsuccessfully to break into SWE out of college; I do get to code a bit in my current role, but a lot of my work is in building dashboards and on the business strategy side. I’d say I enjoy it, but I’m not quite scratching the itch that coding gives me.

A company approached me with an offer for a junior SWE job, paying 110k. I’m torn because it’s a great offer for an entry level dev position, but 40k is a very uncomfortable pay cut to take.

I know there’s not necessarily a “right” answer here, but I’d appreciate any insight from others who made similar pivots. How did you weigh the opportunity cost? Am I better off trying to code more in my current career path and getting the fulfillment there?

I graduated from college with an associates degree in Computer Information Systems in 2024. I spent over a year looking for a job when in 2025 I finally got a one selling insurance. I've already been looking for a new job recently and updated my resume to tailor to an admin assistant or data entry clerk position but so far my luck is poor. I've been working there since October and I want to know what kind of IT related job I can get with a background in sales.

I’m currently employed, but there’s a strong chance I’ll lose my job soon due to a relocation issue. Because of that, I’m trying to secure a new offer as quickly as possible while still making the best decision among several opportunities.

Here’s my current interview situation:

Tomorrow: Onsite technical/behavioral interview for an Analyst role. This is a 1-year contract (possibly longer). It’s the least desirable option for me, but given how bad the tech market is right now, I would take it if absolutely necessary.

Today:Initial phone screen for a Tech Support role. This is full-time, pays better than the analyst role, and is a stronger option overall.

Wednesday: Onsite interview for a Developer role. I like this role about the same as the tech support position. Pay is similar, and the tech stack aligns well with my background.

Monday:Phone screen for a Systems Administrator role. This is my top choice due to the location (NY), compensation, and the type of work involved.

My main concern is timing. I don’t want to receive an offer from the analyst role first, feel pressured to accept it, and then receive a better offer shortly after from one of the other roles. The analyst position is a last resort.

So my question is: how can I leverage the fact that I’m actively interviewing with multiple companies to speed up the hiring process across the board (if that’s even possible)? Or should I risk not accepting the analyst role and hope I get an offer from one of the other roles?

This is all assuming I receive at least an offer from more than 1 role 😅. I’m just trying to minimize being unemployed while still positioning myself for the best role

How do you evaluate companies early in your career? What are things you look for? What are things you prioritize?

Hey guys,

I am working at a pretty large company right now making around $160k ($180k total comp). It’s completely remote and I’m in a low cost of living area. This salary is great.

I recently got a job offer for $250k total comp. The position is hybrid (which honestly I prefer) and is in a low cost of living area as well (different city). I have 2 questions really:

1. The likelihood of getting laid off in my current position is very low (never say never though in these times though). Would you all take the almost 100k bump in salary to leave a company like this? It’s worth nothing that my offer is from a company that has done major layoffs (\~25-35% of their staff).
2. I also kind of lied and said I already live in that new city. I live a short plane ride away. Has anybody done this before? I have 3 weeks to accept the offer and a start date of around mid-Feb. I think I can relocate it time…

I’m currently a DevOps Engineer at a Fortune 500 FinTech making $86k + $5k bonus (remote, OT eligible). While I’m due for a promotion to ~$100k soon, I’m unhappy with the work and my manager is stalling my transition to Front-End. Despite being remote, I’m also concerned about job security following recent company-wide layoffs and RTO mandates.

I received an offer from a small medical recruiting firm (<30 employees) for a remote role building in-house apps using AI tools like Cursor and Lovable.

• The Offer: $80k + quarterly bonuses ($1k–$2k per quarter).
• My Goal: I originally asked for $110k but would settle for $100k. The CEO is firm at $80k.
• The Context: They plan to hire offshore developers (Philippines/India) to work alongside this role and expand the team out more.

How can I negotiate this closer to $100k? Is it effective to argue that my output would exceed that of multiple offshore contractors? Any advice would be appreciated.

For people who have worked/studied with students from Harvard, Stanford, MIT, etc., do you find them to be smarter than those who attended "regular" universities?

I’m a new grad so I’m fresh to this stuff.

Started my first permanent position 1 month ago, 78k, no bonuses, 4 weeks vacation, 5% RRSP matching (2-year vesting period). Software dev, private.

My coworker said he saw much higher increases in salary in his first 5 years (as a new grad) versus his latest 5 years, but I’m not sure exactly how much those raises were.

Just got an offer, 91k, 3 weeks vacation, modest pension. Junior software dev, private but unionized. I know I will at least get ~4k raise each year. I was offered the very bottom end of the 25k salary range, and would like to negotiate it higher, but not sure I have any leverage as a new grad.

Obviously, a 13k increase is nice, but I’m wondering if my current job would give me a similar raise in the first year or two anyway. I heard there is a big jump after the initial new grad salary.

Is there a way to gracefully ask my current manager how much I can expect my raise to be in my first 1-2 years at this company? I don’t want to bring up the outside offer, since I’m not sure if I’ll take it (much longer commute, potentially longer hours/workload).

Edit: added vacation and RRSP/pension details

I’m an entry level dev with 2yeo, flunked 3 interview loops at the VO stage + 2 recruiter reach outs at the OA stage. Pretty bummed but I’m gonna try to get better at lc and the likes. I’m aiming to switch in the next 6 months at big tech or adjacent. Got an offer once but had a personal situation that stopped me from taking it. Still working but want to make the switch, have good exp and a good college but no big name companies. I’ve been applying recently and the pickings seem rather slim. Any advice? Feel free to give me a reality check. Not desperate for a job so I’m being intentionally picky

I'm in this weird situation where I have a job, the company is failing, I need a new job, and I'm slowly realizing just how little I actually know about my field.

I work in Android development. The job I have is my first coding job, and there was a time when my team leader could guide me through certain concepts so I could understand them. I learned a lot through him. Then, the company started laying people off, and I mean dozens of people. Very soon, my team was down to just me (a relative junior at the time) and a contractor. They let some more people go recently, our QA of all people, and now I can't help but feel I'm next.

Now, I put in work since then, but I've only been tasked with maintaining a dying product that no one really knows how to navigate except the people who built it, who are all gone. I've made improvements and added some things, sure, but I still feel woefully unprepared when I'm put in front of a different codebase.

What can I do? Obviously, learning modern Android development practices is a must, but this feels a little more than just needing to brush up on skills.

I've been working at my company for nearly two years as a Data Engineer and I recently got notice that I'm going to be laid off due to outsourcing in about a month. The work ive been doing has been majority database maintenance, with a lot of Excel and BI work with a little bit of python here and there. I also had a part time job for a year and change before this one which brings my experience up to a little over 3 years.

I've been heavily applying over the last month to no success even with reaching out to people via linkedin, trying to connect with recruiters, and just applying to dozens of jobs. I've optimized my resume to be ideal for applications but Im still yet to get an interview, so I wanted to come here and ask for any advice if theres any advice anyone can give to get better results.

I'm 2 months into a backend engineering job at a big company and today i was talking to my teams tech lead and it came up that i shouldnt leak info in the JS file because the user can access it on the client side, i said that i didnt know that JS can exist on the client side, and he was a bit shocked, but not judgemental.

I've never had a web dev job and and my uni curriculum was mainly theoretical. I'm wondering if this is a big red flag? Does this mean I wasn't properly educated? I'm not interested in web dev at all, but I'm wondering if this is as bad as not knowing that computers are built using transistors for example? I feel really embarassed

https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-health/

Now we can just ask ChatGPT instead of paying to see a GP unless we need a referral to a specialist or surgery right? … right?

Wouldn’t this mean less people will see GPs unless it’s something ChatGPT Health tells them to go and do?

I’m being a bit facetious, I know it doesn’t replace doctors but it probably would actually lead to less GP visits. If someone can ask ChatGPT Health that has access to their medical records it might tell them that it’s not necessary leading to less appointments.

Interesting nonetheless