I graduated in 2015 with a master’s in computer science, back when landing a job in tech felt easier than finding a decent apartment.
Landing a six-figure salary at Amazon, Google, Microsoft, or eBay wasn’t just possible — it was almost expected. For my generation, getting a great job in tech was never the question. The only question was how fast you would climb.
We lived through the golden age of IT.
We believed hard work, skill, and persistence would always keep us safe.
We were wrong.
When a Stable Career Vanishes Overnight
This year, one of my closest friends — a senior engineer at a top company — was laid off.
Seven years of experience. Two kids. A mortgage. A family counting on him.
And suddenly: gone. He’s been unemployed for four months now. Sending resumes every week. Lowering his salary expectations. Still no luck.
This isn’t a meme. This isn’t “AI hype.” This is reality.
I felt the catastrophe of AI up close. It wasn’t an article in Forbes. It wasn’t a chart on LinkedIn. It was my friend’s life collapsing.
And he isn’t the only one.
In May, another close friend at Microsoft went quiet. His wife had already been laid off months earlier. For weeks, I didn’t dare message him — because deep down, I was afraid.
Afraid he’d say the same thing.
That he too had been replaced. That another steady career had vanished overnight.
This silence is what defines our generation now.
We don’t even want to ask each other how we’re doing, because we already know the answer.
Life Under Layoffs: Mortgages, Kids, and No Jobs
For those of us who graduated around 2015, life today feels like hell mode:
- A mortgage to pay.
- A car loan to keep up with.
- Kids still too young to understand why Mom or Dad looks so tired.
- And the job market collapsing under the weight of AI.
We’re not “entry-level grads” anymore. We can’t just crash on a couch and eat instant noodles while job-hunting. Our responsibilities make every day heavier.
And yet, the companies don’t care. The system doesn’t care.
We are told: Adapt or be doomed.
This Isn’t Just About IT
Yes, tech workers are a symbol of this shift — but this isn’t only about us.
- Fresh graduates are struggling to land their first role.
- Mid-level professionals are watching offers vanish or being told they’re “too expensive.”
- Entire industries — customer service, HR, marketing — are seeing their tasks swallowed by automation.
This is no longer a story of “AI vs coders.”
It’s a story of an economy where security has disappeared for everyone.
Where Do We Go From Here?
I don’t have a magic answer. None of us do. But here’s what I believe:
- Stop competing with AI on its turf. If your value is measured in repetitive tasks, you’re already lost.
- Lean into what AI can’t replace. Human trust. Complex problem-solving. System-level thinking.
- Repackage your experience. Years of hard-earned knowledge don’t vanish overnight. They can be turned into products, services, mentorship, or consulting.
- Don’t wait for rescue. Companies won’t save us. Governments won’t save us. The only option is to move faster than the changes happening around us.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t just my story.
It’s the story of thousands, maybe millions, around the world right now.
We are the first generation to live through tech’s peak — and now its darkest valley.
So the question is no longer: Will AI take our jobs?
The question is: What will we do when it already has?