I entered 2024 as an unemployed software engineer. What’s next?

The tech job market has been rough, to say the least. There's many just like me who've graduated with their computer science degree, and haven't been able to begin their careers as software engineers. I wanted to reach out to those who've been negatively impacted by the current state of the market to share my story of how I've been managing, and to encourage them to keep pushing through.
I know how isolating and impactful this whole experience has been to your mental health. But if you keep putting in the work everyday to become a better engineer, I can guarantee you'll have your chance to make your mark in the industry. Keep up the great work. You're doing great. I believe in you.
› my links
/ mikeploythai
/ mikeploythai
› current sub count: 61 :)
#softwareengineer #techlayoffs #unemployed #computerscience #techjobs

[@vsanden]

Hey there, I just wanted to reach out and give you a huge compliment for starting your KZbin vlog as a beginning programmer. As someone with an MSc in Computer Science, who's deeply immersed in the realms of AI, computer science, and finance, I truly appreciate the initiative and passion you're showing. The drive to constantly code and improve is a rare and valuable trait. You're absolutely right to put your skills out there. The business world is always on the lookout for fresh talent, and I have no doubt they'll notice yours soon enough. Remember, it's not just about what you know, but also who knows what you can do. Building a network of people who recognize your abilities is crucial. Sharing a coding video could be a fantastic way to showcase your skills to a wider audience. It's a great step, but your love for coding is what will truly propel you forward. There are countless companies out there in desperate need of talented coders, and with your dedication, you're going to fit right in. Take it from me - after many years in the industry, I took the plunge and started my own company. It's a challenging but rewarding journey. And while you're on your path, don't forget to consider working on personal projects. They're not just great for learning and showcasing your skills, but can also be a source of income. Keep up the great work, and remember, every line of code you write is a step towards your success. You're on an exciting path, and I'm confident you'll do incredibly well in your (programming) career (be flexible it could also be 50% coding and something else that you add to the table).

[@mikeploythai]

I apologize for taking so long to get to this! I have no idea why youtube didn’t show me your message earlier, but I’m grateful for your words of encouragement and advice nonetheless. I will definitely be creating coding videos, and I can’t wait to share more videos about software dev and about my journey into tech in general! I’m excited to be transparent and to share the experience with others in hopes of helping them advance in their careers as well. I’m gonna screenshot and save this comment lol this truly cheered me up. Thanks so much and congratulations with your company. All the best!

[@tbm5k]

i didnt think youtube still promotes small channels cause you just popped up on my feed but dang, i love what you just delivered as content and im hitting the subscribe button

[@mikeploythai]

thank you so much for the kind words! was pretty nervous about this video cause it’s quite a sensitive topic for some, but all i wanna do is encourage uplift others. enjoy your stay here 🤝

[@MahmoudMaguid]

I randomly stumbled on this video. Any recruiter watching this will hire you, you seem like such a nice guy. Good luck and don't give up.

[@mikeploythai]

Insanely kind of you. Thank you very much for the support :)

[@dyto2287]

Too bad but recruiters don't have decision on who to hire. They are only the first introduction step in interview process.

[@mikeploythai]

@@dyto2287 Very valid point. All he means is well of course, but I acknowledge that recruiters aren’t the ones calling the shots. Thanks for watching!

[@ipsb]

I left my job 7 months back as a Frontend Engineer. I left it because I was not learning much even after putting a lot hours and also developing key features for the product the manager's demands were sky high. A lot time was getting sucked by useless meetings and some incompetent team mates was making the matter worse(The ones who talks a lot and do nothing). So I decided to leave and upskill myself to full stack developer. I left then taught myself backend development and made some projects in it. Learnt a lil bit of devops like containerisation n all. Started looking for a job and found that the job market is getting worse(I thought it would get better when I'll be ready to switch) now I'm learning UI/UX Design and I'm loving it. I design during the day and code during the night and upgrading my resume with solid full stack projects. I oftentimes gets anxious regarding the future but I'm focusing more on skills and process than which is what truly matters so whenever that one opportunity arises I want to make sure I'll give my 100%.

[@mikeploythai]

Super sorry that your experience became overbearing and that you started to feel stagnant as an eng. Always sucks when you hit that point, but I’m glad to hear you’re constantly putting in the effort to learn more rather than being complacent with the skills you’re already comfortable with. I believe in your success. Keep working hard and doing what you’re doing. You’re gonna do awesome things once that one opportunity presents itself. All the best and thanks for watching 🫡

[@tedjon2796]

Thank you for this video, I needed it

[@mikeploythai]

I’m glad the video was able to help you in some way. Keep up the good work, you’re doing great! Good luck 🫡

[@releqt6607]

this video popped out of no where. liked and subscribed, very nicely edited and good pace. only 76 subscribers, keep it up!

[@mikeploythai]

thank you very much! please enjoy your stay :)

[@pondeify]

honestly very painful seeing new grads not being able to find jobs. only thing i can say is - be flexible and adapt to change, jobs are out there but might not be in your desired field

[@mikeploythai]

I truly appreciate your empathy, a lot of us truly appreciate the support. As for me, there’s no need to worry. I’m here riding the waves and I’m super excited to have the chance to make content and free resources to help others in the same position as me to keep building and growing while I still can :) I wish I got to mention what you said in the video! I think it’s super important to highlight that the first job might not be exactly what they’re aiming for, but it’s a good first step towards the “dream job”. If only I could go back in time haha. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch the video 🤝

[@mohamedshahin3292]

Really needed to hear this right now!!! Thank you !!!

[@smarakpatra6889]

I too stepped on shit. 2024 Software Job Market (shit)

[@benjaminnguyen592]

Good luck man! I recently graduated in December and find myself in a similar position. Hopefully the market will get better as we continue improving our skills.

[@mikeploythai]

Thanks for the kind words and good luck to you too bro! It’s only up from here for the both of us. Keep doing what you do, you’ll do great things 🫡

[@Versole]

I'm also in similar boat if not worse. I have graduate in 2021 with internship experience, and yet I couldn't land a full-time swe position. I did had contract, freelance, and some gigs on the side that kept me going. Currently, I'm still unemployed and hoping that this year I would be able to financially support myself. You got good articulation and communication skill. I can see your channel growing in few months if you keep at it. This is authentic and raw.

[@mikeploythai]

I’m so sorry that you’ve not been able to kickstart a full time career just yet, but is good that you’ve still been able to pick up some jobs to keep building. I hope you’ll be able to get your chance this year as well Thanks so much for watching my video, I truly appreciate your time. I’ll definitely be keeping at it in the mean time! As I keep navigating through the market like many of us here, I want to be able to support and create resources for other devs to use to bolster their skills and such. Super excited to do so. All the best :)

[@samuelsandoval6785]

Mike keep doing what you’re doing. I think you’ll land a job this year for sure. Keep learning, and passionately doing what you do. Best of luck mate 😊

[@mikeploythai]

thank u for ur support 🤝

[@TuxBearlux]

A.I , India 🇮🇳 Outsourcing has destroyed the software engineering industry. 😢

[@thegod1929]

Why do you think India 🇮🇳 Outsourcing has destroyed software engineering industry?

[@vulpeeze]

I graduated around the same time as you and damn was it incredibly hard to find a job. The insane number of hours and stress spent on getting a job is ridiculous, the market really is terrible for us. I wish everyone reading this luck in getting a job as soon as possible. And I hope everyone has their own Shelly to help keep them alright during these tough times. For 2024, I'm just immersing myself in my job and trying to quickly climb the ranks. I might be completely wrong but don't think many could blame me to think that the sooner I become a senior engineer, the sooner I'll have good job security and a pay that can actually afford me a house for once.

[@TheSoulCrisis]

Ye.....as some say "finding a job IS a full-time job." Becoming a senior software engineer is a good spot to be! Glad you're on your way, I've lost two tech jobs in the past (one due to a technicality during the pandemic where I didn't get my degree on time and an IT consulting company wouldn't let me work with clients without it and another due to a startup putting a ton of pressure on me out the gate). Working for a defense contractor now as a 100% remote full stack C#/Blazor developer and loving it! Before that I gained one year of experience working for a fintech company as a web developer analyst on a web hosting team (not all that technical and mostly solved IT support tickets) and that job was hell with politics and lack of team resources, plus my very helpful manager left after 3 months of me starting and my mentor's contract was ended 6 months after I began working there. This position allowed me to secure the role I have now though and save up a lot of bank (plus start building my 401K assets.....which I rolled over into a Rollover IRA plan to capture some solid tech stocks and dividend yielding ETFs).

[@tekken1935]

Loved this video. Subscribed. How are you planning to evolve this channel? As in what contents can we expect in the coming days? Excited to watch

[@rogeliocordova7247]

Im unemployed with two years of experience and honestly its been horrible trying to find a job. been looking since november. I try not to let it get to me, but its scary you know! All this to say, things may be grim now but you're not alone. Good luck to anyone else who is trying to make space for themselves in this very hectic economy.

[@mikeploythai]

thank you for sharing you experience. good luck to you as well! i'm sure you'll be able to find your opportunity soon 🤞

[@SpongeMixify]

Haven't landed a job since graduating June 2023. Became broke, felt lonely and depressed, now I'm starting to exercise more, film (used to major in film and switched like you!) and reading philosophy. Taking periodic breaks from coding due to burnout but still doing some AWS labs in the meantime. Thanks for posting I feel a bit less alone, hopefully we all land something this year.

[@mikeploythai]

i'm very glad you're starting to pick yourself back up! i 100% understand how it must've felt to be struggling through the market since grad. i really should start exercising regularly again LOL. also, what made you switch from film to CS? very curious to hear from others who were along a similar path as us thanks so much for taking the time to watch, and i'm happy i was able to help you feel less alone. best of luck to you!

[@ivanflores8554]

Going to csuf for cs and graduating December 2025. The market is discouraging but we gotta focus on what we can control and work on ourselves! Best of luck going forward

[@MuhammadArslan-lc5lh]

looking forward for your content as a 1year software engineer , so i can get help with your experiences .

[@FreeThinkingWisdom]

Bro it's so good to know that it's not just me experiencing this. I graduated in august, have a baby on the way and my wife and I are building a house, we started all this before I graduated under the guise of me having a job before the end of 2023. At this point I'm applying to generalize IT positions because I'm having 0 luck with dev jobs. I feel like it's me giving up on something I invested 6 years and untold hardships to get to.

[@mikeploythai]

BIG CONGRATS DUDE. fatherhood’s gonna go crazy but I’m wishing you the best. but I feel you abt the feeling of giving up, we just happened to get really unlucky by the time we grad. keep working at it, we’ll have our chances soon. In the meantime, there’s nothing wrong picking up a job or diverging on the path a bit. Good luck 🤝

[@sergioalcantara4361]

Hey Mike, I’m an undergraduate CS student, graduating on dec 2026, just started my sophomore year. I got an internship for summer 2024, so my goals are to do well in the internship and leetcode prepare for 2025 internship, I wanna land a FAANG one. These are the main goals, but I’m also working on some complex projects and doing open source to improve my programming skills.

[@mikeploythai]

WOOOOOOOO ur doing a great job. keep building and learning, and you’ll be in a rlly good place by post grad. during internship, don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions, and don’t be afraid to take initiative, but I’m sure you already knew that. also take steps to find your niche! good luck dude, ur gonna do great things 🫡

[@sergioalcantara4361]

@@mikeploythai thanks brother

[@OlocDefiance]

Jesus Christ, well I’m not doing comp sci at cal state Fullerton anymore LOL. Yeah might just do engineering and tag through uci now LOL. The fuck, what a trip. Crazy

[@shaleenmathur4556]

Don't give up Mike I believe in you

[@mikeploythai]

thanks dad

[@BizzaroBrainBoi]

im self taught java fullstack react web developer. and im in your shoes right now

[@mikeploythai]

we’re in this together. keep building and get involved in tech communities locally, online, etc to make friends/connections within the space! you’re doing great, keep working and you’ll have your chance. good luck 👍

[@devgabriel6898]

How many years of exp?

[@RandomShowerThoughts]

Good luck

[@nhanvo8562]

Hi there, I am in the same position. I graduated in 2022 from a Cal State and got the offer from the company I was interning with at the time. I thought everything would be great and then the Tech Job Crash come. Hope the best thing will come to us.

[@creative-freedom]

Just imagine the situation of ppl who are on VISA !! Just saying, it tougher for more ppl out there.

[@mikeploythai]

absolutely!! there's no doubt about that, and I only wish and hope for the best for them as they're just as important and crucial to the industry. however, it's still completely fair to address that it's hard for many devs in general right now and to help uplift all developers struggling through :)

[@coffeesauxe3967]

Main character arc incoming

[@mikeploythai]

this is the year mark my words

[@chrisalbers9184]

Graduated 6 months ago. Working hard everyday to get my first position.

[@mikeploythai]

I feel you. Keep learning and growing everyday, network with others, and collaborate with others if you're able to! Good luck, we got this 🫡

[@overratedhype7718]

the real first @dania

[@shellyliu]

happy should have made an appearance in this vlog

[@mikeploythai]

did you say something

[@mikelong3444]

Nice

[@devgabriel6898]

Software development bubble exploded like 2 years ago.

[@riacardi7011]

I graduate in May and im struggling to get hired

[@mikeploythai]

I know that struggle bro. but keep improving your skills, keep making connections, and keep working everyday to place urself in a better position. one step at a time, you got this 🫡

[@karygable9919]

Hi, I just got here by recommendation. The market for Tech roles right is so tough. I have received a ton of rejection email as my breakfast everyday. 😅 By the way, I have 8 yrs of experience in IT, and just planning to move to a more specialize role in Tech. I went to several Tech interviews but unluckily I was not selected as there more experienced applicants. Just my friendly advise, Don't be to hard on yourself. You also need to take care of yourself. You'll get a job when you least expected it. You just need 1 company who will give you a chance. 🤙

[@fabrizioalonzi4122]

I've been working in software development since 2005, and this is the first time I've seen the IT industry in a stagnant situation like it is now. Certainly AI is making the situation worse, but I think that biggest blame lies with all those online coding schools that sprung up during the pandemic and stuck in people's heads that "hey! everyone can be a developer!" and "hey! you can make the big money too!" Well, that's not the case. You don't make money overnight in this industry, and it's absolutely not true that everybody can be a developer. Because not everyone can handle the stress of studying new things every day, meeting deadlines, having managers yelling in the back of his head every day etc.

[@raident29]

it doesn't matter if you code everyday, what matter is if it's production compliant code. that's what recruiters are looking for.

[@mikeploythai]

fully agree! i feel like this is a trap lots of people fall into if they're in tutorial hell, not collaborating with others frequently, or only coding for homework or projects in the case of college. thanks for watching :)

[@raident29]

@@mikeploythai one thing you can do is freelance, even unpaid freelance. it's still professional work. you can learn while doing freelance professional work. if you fail then it's ok but you'll learn more instead of being stuck in tutorials you'll be doing code professionally.

[@mikeploythai]

i've definitely been thinking about freelance or kickstarting my own web dev agency, haha. i already build/maintain my girl's website for her business, so there's a chance i'll extend my services for other clients. for now, i'll be producing a few tutorials to put up on the channel, good excuse to make content and to build at the same time

[@raident29]

@@mikeploythai that's a good plan man! good luck and keep it up! keep us updated in your channel

[@mikeploythai]

@@raident29 absolutely dude, thanks for the support! looking forward to providing free resources to help other devs out there

[@mjohnson510]

Glad I avoided tech companies. I’m chillin.

[@mikeploythai]

hell yeah dude! so glad ur doing well. thanks for watching 🤝

[@irshviralvideo]

you're making thousands per month in just content creation. Forget computer sciecen, just do content creation and within 4-5 months you would be making over 10k USD a month and 100k USD a month in 1-2 years from now.

[@mikeploythai]

LOLLLLL I love content creation, and it would be cool to do it as a full time gig no doubt, but i am a dude that likes to wear multiple hats. i'm into development, im into film making, i'm into music, i'm into cooking, i'm into a whole buncha stuff. sticking with 1 thing won't make me fulfilled in life, so i try to do everything in balance, and i fully accept that doing everything will hinder my success to some degree. thanks so much for watching, i truly appreciate your time :)

[@irshviralvideo]

@@mikeploythai How much do you make right now per month ?

[@iwouldchange1t]

DO A FITNESS CHANNEL!!!

[@kushpatel8968]

I go to csuf and study cs as well

[@mikeploythai]

Hi Kush! We were able to chat briefly on LinkedIn a while ago. Hope you and your content are doing well. Keep up the good work man

[@commodorejellyfish]

why r there so many command strips on the wall

[@mikeploythai]

commando

[@shellyliu]

LMAOOOOOOO cause of my roommate this is my living room

[@mikeploythai]

💀💀💀

[@RAaaa777]

bro you are bouncing the microphone like you are Christina Aguilera... just kidding, nice encouraging video

[@mikeploythai]

haha thanks for the support 👍

[@90sokrates]

So smart dedicated to a point of addiction can't find tech job. well that sounds really bad for us 9to5 coding monkeys

[@bombrman1994]

7 months ago ?! bruh I graduated in 2022 its 2024 now, you need to be indian or know an indian that can hook you up with a job no matter how good you are, you are not enough. Maybe an outlier that is a godlike genetically exceptional person with perfectly being in the right place like son of a developer of 20 years can find a job

[@shellyliu]

come back

[@mikeploythai]

i will!

[@callous21]

Constructive criticism. Don't let jealous gf stop you from sharing the sauce. Those videos could help your viewers and we may not have found them otherwise

[@mikeploythai]

not entirely sure where you were able to get the the jealous part 😅 but the sauce will be shared, don’t worry! she’s been amazing and has been a supporter over both my content and my professional career for the longest time :)

[@danianasereddin1555]

first🥸

[@mikeploythai]

congrats, perhaps i will post the vlog that stars u

[@Gerry.]

[@mikeploythai]

thanks luigi