Marc Kriguer, a 59-year-old software engineer with nearly three decades of experience, has faced four job losses in the past 18 years, most recently from Walmart Global Tech. In an essay he wrote for Business Insider, Kriguer shared his journey through a volatile tech job market and his views on the industry's evolving demands.
Kriguer's passion for coding began early, debugging programs before he turned 10. He officially entered the tech field 28 years ago, and his first layoff came in 2008 at Sun Microsystems, just before its acquisition by Oracle. Since then, he's experienced layoffs at a plagiarism-checking company, another firm during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, and most recently, as part of a workforce reduction that cut around 1,500 roles at Walmart, he wrote.
Despite the growing influence of AI in software development, Kriguer doesn't believe it's the main cause of widespread tech layoffs. While he resisted using AI tools to write code, he acknowledges their usefulness in reviewing it. However, he notes that many job listings now prefer or require AI experience, which could soon become a standard expectation in the field.
According to the Business Insider, Kriguer believes frequent layoffs stem more from overhiring and cost-cutting than from technological advances. "Companies hire too quickly," he says, pointing to the pressures from venture capital funding and the high salaries of software engineers as reasons they're often targeted in downsizing efforts.
Despite setbacks, Kriguer remains optimistic. He's currently job hunting, having applied to around 40 positions and interviewed with 15 companies. Though the role of software engineer may not be growing rapidly, he says demand hasn't disappeared, and he's confident that experience and adaptability still count.
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