@theo Talks About Tech Job Market in 2025
Overview
The tech job market has shifted, becoming an arena of both opportunity and fierce competition, where understanding the landscape and knowing how to navigate it has become paramount. It's not enough to simply be skilled; you need to stand out, and, more importantly, you need to know what makes you a strong candidate in today's volatile climate. In a recent video, Theo, of the t3dotgg YouTube channel, dives deep into the realities of tech hiring in 2025, offering a unique blend of practical advice and a sobering look at the current conditions. While Theo acknowledges the difficulty of obtaining a job right now, he also shares invaluable insights, drawn from experience not just as a job seeker, but as someone who has been on the other side of the table – hiring, firing, and advising companies on talent acquisition. The video explores how the market has changed, how perceptions have shifted, and what you can do to make yourself more desirable to employers. This detailed exploration is designed to help anyone struggling in the current tech job market, providing actionable steps to improve your chances.
The Reality of the Tech Market: From Boom to Competition
It's no secret that the tech world has seen considerable shifts in recent years. The once-explosive growth is now tempered by a more measured approach, influenced by economic realities and the emergence of AI. As Theo explains, in the past, tech jobs outnumbered qualified candidates, creating a situation where companies were scrambling to fill positions. This led to a more lenient hiring process, which may not always prioritize ideal candidates, and more junior roles being created to cast a wider net. This environment, he points out, has dramatically changed.
Layoffs: An Uncomfortable Truth
One of the starkest indications of change in the industry is the high number of layoffs. As Theo highlights in the video, sites like Layoffs.fyi track an alarmingly high number of layoffs in the tech sector. For the year 2024, they tracked over 144,000 tech roles eliminated. Even more concerning, the year before saw a figure upwards of 264,000, which only serves to emphasize the current state of the market. The sheer volume of these layoffs has created an unusually large pool of skilled professionals now competing for jobs, raising the bar for new entrants as well as those seeking to re-enter the job force.
Why Traditional Job Search Advice is No Longer Sufficient
Theo explains how traditional advice for job hunting, often based on market conditions pre-2022, is now largely ineffective. The methods and strategies for job-seeking must evolve with the landscape itself, because what worked before is simply no longer adequate. He notes the disconnect between what current job seekers are doing and what employers are seeking is significant, leaving many candidates frustrated and without offers. Because things have shifted, people must approach the market with an understanding of what hiring managers look for today.
From Tech Boom to Tech Realities: Understanding Market Changes
The transition from a booming tech industry to today's landscape requires a shift in mindset for both job seekers and employers. Theo delves into why things have changed and what the underlying dynamics are. Here's a closer look:
More Available Tech Professionals: The market now has more available tech professionals due to layoffs, which greatly increases the competition for any new openings. This also means employers have a higher probability of getting exactly what they are looking for in an applicant, raising the bar for those that apply.
The Education System Lag: Education systems, or even other online learning platforms, are not as adaptive and cannot keep up with market changes. The advice given, therefore, is often outdated and based on what worked well two or three years ago, which has become largely ineffective by current standards. Because of this, it's crucial to look beyond traditional learning for insights into a continuously changing market. To truly stand out, you must adopt new strategies tailored to this new environment.
Tech Job Market Dynamics: Theo also brings up the point about how the tech market used to have far more jobs available than there were experienced tech professionals. This meant that companies were frequently willing to take a chance on new talent, including junior staff, however, that is no longer the case. Many companies are focused on what is already known and proven to generate results. When this focus shifts, the dynamic and opportunities open to those looking for their first tech roles will likely greatly diminish.
Shifting From a Numbers Game to a Trust Economy
Theo makes a valuable observation when he emphasizes how the tech job market is now less about simply finding someone to do a job and more about building trust, which shifts the perspective away from a purely transactional model into something that feels like a true long-term commitment. What does it take for an interviewer or hiring manager to trust a candidate? Here are a few of the main points he touches upon:
Building Trust Through Demonstrable Skills: Theo emphasizes that relying on old approaches like contributing to open source projects is not enough on its own. While useful, he does state, it's not a silver bullet that's going to guarantee an interview or a job offer. The critical takeaway is to focus on demonstrating demonstrable, applicable skills. This is more than just having the knowledge, or claiming the skill, but by making it apparent that you are capable of putting it into use. When the other party understands your skill set, and that it matches what they need, they are more likely to trust that you can be a good hire.
The Value of Transparency and Involvement: By actively engaging in your field and having a clear history of your experience, including examples of the good that you have done and will do for the company, trust becomes a natural byproduct. Transparency goes beyond a well-crafted resume; it also reflects in your active participation in tech communities. Are you contributing to online forums with constructive insights, making connections through social media, building and maintaining a blog or portfolio? These acts help people get to know you as an individual beyond what's written on a piece of paper.
Show, Don't Just Tell: Theo notes that the days of simply listing qualifications and hoping to get a job are long gone. Instead, you must prove your skills, and this, he says, is why the shift from an information-based economy to a trust-based one has occurred. It's not what you say, but what people see and experience about you, as a professional. The more you can demonstrate this, the more likely a hiring manager will feel good about selecting you for a position on their team.
The Impact of AI on the Job Market: Double-Edged Sword
The influence of artificial intelligence is reshaping the way things are done in virtually every market and industry. Theo points out in the video how this is also true in the tech world. Specifically, he looks at two of the primary ways it is affecting the market: by increasing competition, and changing how hiring managers consider applicants.
AI-Fueled Increased Competition: The advent of accessible AI has led to an explosion of AI-generated content, including resumes and cover letters, making it more difficult to assess applicants effectively. Hiring managers are sifting through a high volume of applications, and the increase in AI-generated content adds to the burden. To that point, AI may seem like a useful tool, however, you must consider that everyone else is probably using the same tools to create materials that often read and sound identical. Theo cautions on the impact this may have, making it more critical than ever to find authentic ways to make yourself stand out.
AI and the Shifting Definition of Seniority: The accessibility of AI tools also allows more experienced engineers to accomplish tasks they previously needed a whole team to accomplish, making it hard to evaluate the real skill level of an individual. This means that someone who has a wide set of skills is at a higher advantage than someone who just focuses on core competencies. It is, therefore, crucial to be a well-rounded professional, someone who can apply a wider range of skills than just one or two specialties.
The Importance of Community and Connections in the Tech Industry
Theo makes a strong case for why community and connection are extremely critical for job seekers. As he explains it, this focus on community goes far beyond simply networking. It's more about building a solid foundation of mutual support and growth within the tech sector. Here are the key points he emphasizes:
Building Relationships is More Important Than Ever: He stresses that making connections with other like-minded individuals through networking on social platforms like Twitter or Blue Sky, participating in live streams and community chats, or joining Discord servers, is critically important. These actions are not about simply collecting contacts but about genuinely engaging with other members of your field.
Mentorship and Shared Learning: Connecting with peers and seniors in the industry not only provides you with a sense of camaraderie, but it also creates an environment for mentorship and shared learning. By building networks, you allow yourself to be discovered, as was the case in the examples Theo provides of past community members who were given offers from other tech professionals. When you are seen as an active and knowledgeable member of your community, your name is more likely to come up in conversations regarding available roles.
Why You Cannot Work Alone: The bottom line, according to Theo, is that if you intend to try to go through your tech career alone, it will be far more difficult than it would be if you cultivate relationships within the tech community, and that is what separates those who become successful versus those who struggle. Building real friendships and associations within a community offers far more benefits than can be obtained through any degree or other skill set.
The Takeaway: Don't Just Seek a Job, Seek a Community
Theo points out that it's not simply about the skills you bring to the table but about who you are as a person in the world of tech and that includes those you choose to surround yourself with. He advocates for a shift in perspective from seeking just a job to looking to build a community, and his examples of those he knows within his own personal sphere speak volumes. In the current market, traditional job search methods have been rendered insufficient, forcing people to get creative, which includes the power of building trust through participation and consistent networking.
Building Trust and Demonstrating Value in the Tech Industry
Building trust and demonstrating value in the tech industry is key to a successful career, and to accomplish this, Theo emphasizes these primary takeaways:
Embrace a Growth Mindset: Theo indicates a growth mindset is absolutely critical to success in the current state of the tech world. Because things are changing quickly, you must be willing to learn, adapt, and grow. When you convey this attitude, you show that you are not someone that will stay behind the times but will continuously look forward to finding better ways of doing things.
Be More Than Just a Problem Solver: While solving problems is essential to engineering, you should also be a contributor to the community. Show genuine interest in the work, be involved, and bring up any important questions or useful pieces of information that others may have missed. When people see your engagement with your field, and your willingness to share and contribute, they are more likely to feel they can trust you.
Engage Authentically: Building a brand on social media is not about just posting frequently but about contributing to relevant and meaningful conversations. You can cultivate real relationships by engaging in discussions that matter to both you and others in your area of interest. These associations can and will be of great value to your career in the future.
Actionable Advice for Navigating Today's Tech Job Market
As Theo reiterates in his video, having the right mindset is crucial, but it also needs to be paired with actions that will actually generate results. Here's what he suggests:
Participate Authentically: Engage in discussions that you care about. As Theo states in the video, when people see what matters to you, and how you treat others, you're more likely to build a solid support network. Your social media presence should be an accurate portrayal of who you are as a professional, and that is something that should naturally come across in your interactions.
Use the Right Tools and Learn How They Work: Theo points out how he believes in using the right tools to accomplish tasks. Many people believe that using AI is a bad thing, and that it will cause a decrease in job opportunities, but in his view, these are tools that, used correctly, can elevate you and your work above others. This does not mean you should generate fake documents with it, but use it to make yourself more effective and efficient in what you do, using AI to augment your output, not replace it.
Find Peers and Mentors: Do not make the mistake of going through this journey alone. Find others in your field, even if it means you have to engage in online communities. Reach out and make the connections, and try to develop relationships through these interactions, because they will become invaluable to you in the future.
Conclusion
The tech job market in 2025 presents its own unique set of challenges, which require people to shift their mindset, strategy, and expectations. It's not enough to just know how to code, or to merely list out your qualifications. Instead, you must demonstrate that you have the capability, the personality, and the connections that makes you a solid long-term hire. The key point that Theo makes is that this new environment is more about building trust through demonstrable value and community engagement than it is about simply checking off the boxes on an arbitrary list. By actively building relationships, engaging authentically within your area of expertise, and showcasing a clear history of your capabilities, you improve your chances in this turbulent tech job market.
It also helps to understand the other side of the table and the factors that play into how someone is hired. Theo's main point is to remember that it's not about the volume of applications you send out, but about the quality and authenticity of your connections and interactions that will help you stand out from the crowd. With the right approach, you will be able to navigate the job market and find a role that you will excel at, and enjoy along with others, in your ever-growing professional network.