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Episode 4 - Find A Job in Tech

Overview​

How do you go about getting a job in Tech in 2024? We talk about what worked for us in our careers, also the things to avoid as well as some shady industry stories.

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Watch this episode on Youtube.

Tech News​

The news articles we looked at on stream:

Nearly 25,000 tech workers were laid off in the first weeks of 2024. Why is that?

  • Despite improved economic conditions, tech companies have collectively laid off about 25,000 employees in the first four weeks of 2024.
  • The layoffs are driven by a herding effect, with companies continuing the trend to boost their stock prices and satisfy investors.
  • Tech layoffs are considered contagious, with companies imitating each other to divert attention from individual failures and cover up bad investments or strategies.

The absurdity of the return-to-office movement

  • corporations like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Meta are pushing for their employees to return to the office.
  • The argument for returning to the office is often based on non-falsifiable claims about the necessity of chance encounters and spontaneous idea generation.
  • There is no empirical evidence supporting these claims, and the desire for employees to be in the office seems more about control and attachment to old ways of doing things.

AI is too expensive to replace humans in jobs right now, MIT study finds

  • The research looked into the practicalities of replacing human labour with AI in jobs in the United States where computer vision was employed, such as teachers, bakers and property appraisers.
  • The MIT study indicates that AI, especially in computer vision tasks, remains too costly for widespread job replacement due to high setup and operational expenses.
  • Research shows only 23% of vision task wages justify automation costs, suggesting human labour is often more economical due to AI's high initial investment.
  • This study uniquely assesses the economic feasibility and technical viability of automating tasks, diverging from prior research that mainly examined AI's potential impact on job roles.

Discussion Topics​

Audience Question: AI Generated Cover Letters - yes or no?

Where to look for Jobs​

  1. Referrals: Best way to look because you know someone that not only enjoys working there but can give you feedback on things they might not like.
  2. Company website: Great to answer “How did find out about this role?” with I went directly to your website because your company and I share the same values and goals.
  3. LinkedIn, Seek
  4. Recruiters

How to organise your job hunt​

  1. Spreadsheet - common, easy to start.
  2. Notion - bit of a learning curve, but lots of features.

CV tips & tricks​

  1. https://resume.io/
  2. Results of the Audience Questions.

Interview tips & tricks​

No notes.

Negotiating Salaries​

  1. Never disclose your salary expectation.
  2. Ask the recruiter what the range is for the role instead, this will exist.

Advice for working in the tech industry​

  1. Certs vs Practical Skills vs Academic
  2. Academic = good for demonstrating commitment i.e. 3-4 years of study
  3. Certs/Skills = demonstrate ability to understand specific technology e.g. AWS, K8s.