- Manasi Mishra, a Purdue computer science graduate, struggled to find coding jobs in the US
- Her only significant job interview was with fast-food chain Chipotle after graduating in May
- Unemployment rates for computer science grads aged 22-27 reached 6.1%, and 7.5% for engineers
An Indian-origin tech graduate has shared her ordeal of trying to land a coding job in the USA as the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technology continues to eat away at the opportunities for up-and-coming software engineers. Manasi Mishra graduated from the prestigious Purdue University with a computer science degree in May, but the only substantial job interview to come her way has been from a fast-food franchise, Chipotle.
Growing up in California, Ms Mishra was into computers from the beginning and followed the template that the majority of STEM graduates have followed in recent decades to land six-figure paychecks. She learnt coding and built her website when she was still in elementary school. Later, she took advanced computing in high school and majored in computer science in college.
"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, 21, told The New York Times.
"I just graduated with a computer science degree, and the only company that has called me for an interview is Chipotle," she added.
According to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, among college graduates ages 22 to 27, computer science and computer engineering majors are facing some of the highest unemployment rates, 6.1 per cent and 7.5 per cent, respectively.
'Focus less on coding'
Recently, India's former Minister of State for the Ministry of Electronics, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, also wrote a detailed post, advising students to focus less on coding and more on physics and mathematics. Citing Elon Musk and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, Mr Chandrasekhar said in the age of AI, a deep understanding of core principles will matter more than ever.
"As #AI tools become more capable of writing and debugging code, the value of basic programming skills is decreasing. But what cannot be automated is strong conceptual thinking, creative problem-solving, and the scientific mindset that powers innovation. That starts with mastering equations, energy, forces, and logic," wrote Mr Chandrasekhar.
If you are a student , its in ur interest to read this 👇🏻
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@RajeevRC_X) August 10, 2025
In a bold shift from tech's usual advice, @elonmusk and @nvidia CEO Jensen Huang are urging students to focus less on coding and more on physics and mathematics.
In the age of #ArtificialIntelligence, they argue that…
In recent months, there has been a bloodbath in the tech sector with industry majors such as Microsoft and Amazon embracing AI coding tools and laying off thousands of employees.
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