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\n Abraham Rubio has wanted to be a software engineer since childhood.\n <\/p>\n
\n On the gaming platform Minecraft, he loved tinkering with \u201cmods,\u201d or alterations to video games created by fans that change elements like a character\u2019s appearance. Eventually, he wasn\u2019t content with just discovering new mods \u2014 he wanted to build his own.\n <\/p>\n
\n That early passion led him to study coding at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University in New Jersey, graduating with a degree in computer science and game programming in May.\n <\/p>\n
\n But finding a software development job has proven challenging. Rubio has applied for 20 roles since graduation. He\u2019s yet to receive an offer.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI go on LinkedIn almost every day, just scrolling, trying to see what opportunities are out there,\u201d he said, adding that he hasn\u2019t \u201creally heard anything back from most companies.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n For years \u2014 as Silicon Valley boomed and all kinds of companies invested in new tech capabilities \u2014 computer science degrees, or even certificates from coding bootcamps, seemed like a golden ticket to a sustainable, well-paying job in a fast-paced industry. But in recent years, job openings have become more competitive and harder to come by.\n <\/p>\n
\n Employment for recent graduates in computer science and math jobs has declined by 8% since 2022, Oxford Economics<\/a> found in a May report. Postings for software development roles on the job site Indeed fell 71% between February 2022 to August 2025, according to Indeed data shared by<\/a> the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.\n <\/p>\n \n With the tech world racing to make artificial intelligence advancements, some new grads say it feels like an especially exciting time to enter the industry. However, AI is also enabling companies to automate some parts of the coding and software development process, reducing the need for human workers, especially in entry-level roles.\n <\/p>\n \n While tech giants\u2019 valuations continue to soar, many have undergone multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years<\/a> as they push to accomplish more work with fewer people, a trend that has only been accelerated by AI. Microsoft, for example, became the second company to reach a $4 trillion valuation<\/a> last month. That was only weeks after saying it would lay off 9,000 employees<\/a> in its third round of cuts in recent months. CEO Satya Nadella said in April<\/a> that as much as 30% of Microsoft\u2019s code was being written by AI.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cTech jobs are good, but I will say, the job market right now makes it seem that it\u2019s almost impossible to get one,\u201d said Julio Rodriguez, who graduated last year from Elms College in Massachusetts. He said it took him more than 150 applications before he got a data engineer job earlier this summer.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cAnd then when you get one, you\u2019re also scared of the many layoffs that many companies are having,\u201d he added.\n <\/p>\n \n CNN spoke with half a dozen job seekers about how they\u2019re navigating the job market, educators training the industry\u2019s next generation of engineers as well as current coders and tech leaders about whether computer science degrees could become obsolete.\n <\/p>\n \n Nick Vinokour had a dream job lined up after he graduated in December from the University of Michigan with a computer science degree \u2014 he had been hired as a strategic projects lead at data labeling startup Scale AI. He was set to start in August.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI was super excited, it was a great opportunity,\u201d Vinokour said.\n <\/p>\n \n But after Meta invested<\/a> $14.3 billion into Scale AI in June, acquiring its CEO, Vinokour got an email saying his offer was being rescinded amid a corporate restructuring.\n <\/p>\n \n Now, he\u2019s still on the hunt for a job.\n <\/p>\n \n While Vinokour largely believes the state of the economy and stiff competition among recent computer science graduates are to blame for the tough job market, the role of AI has certainly crossed his mind.\n <\/p>\n \n AI coding tools such as Microsoft\u2019s Copilot and Anysphere\u2019s Cursor are like \u201ca big tidal wave that\u2019s looming to change what the role of a junior engineer is,\u201d he said. (A Scale spokesperson acknowledged that some employees were laid off or had offers rescinded in July, but said Scale is now aggressively hiring for positions across the company.)\n <\/p>\n \n Some recent computer science grads have turned to TikTok to share frustrations around the current tech job market. A TikTok user named Lili, who goes by @queenofslack on the app, posted a video last month discouraging other students from studying computer science due to her own difficult job hunt.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI think the investment, the difficulty of (computer science) is not worth the instability of the job,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you\u2019re really just being motivated by a paycheck and by a cushy job, I can\u2019t say that I would recommend.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Of the more than 250 comments on the video, dozens were from fellow computer science graduates or students expressing similar concerns about their career path.\n <\/p>\n \n College graduates, broadly, are struggling. A May report from Oxford Economics<\/a> found that the unemployment rate for recent grads is now greater than the national average. But for job seekers in tech, the data is especially troubling.\n <\/p>\n \n The New York Fed now pegs<\/a> the unemployment rate for recent computer science and computer engineering graduates (6.1% and 7.5%, respectively) higher than that for people who studied art history (3%), English (4.9%) and performing arts (2.7%).\n <\/p>\n \n Recent grads told CNN that they don\u2019t think AI will do away with software engineering jobs entirely. As Brianne Ford, who graduated from the State University of New York at New Paltz in May, put it: \u201cCode always needs maintaining.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n But there are fears that the technology will usurp opportunities for people looking to break into the field.\n <\/p>\n \n For entry-level jobs, \u201cthey want us to have tons of internships or tons of projects and when you\u2019re in school, you don\u2019t really get as much of a chance,\u201d Ford said. \u201cMe, personally, I worked as a resident advisor to help pay for school.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Vinokour said job seekers his age are in a \u201cpickle\u201d \u2014 wanting to take part in the AI boom, but competing against more experienced developers for jobs, especially as some companies slow down or change their hiring plans.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIt\u2019s this very weird middle ground that\u2019s exciting because (the industry is) on the precipice of this insane technology. But \u2026 it\u2019s harder for a junior engineer to be hired,\u201d Vinokour said.\n <\/p>\n \n Or as Rubio puts it: \u201cIt feels like I\u2019m competing with AI to just try to get my foot in the door.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Some are now reconsidering whether software engineering is truly a viable career path.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI\u2019m pretty pessimistic right now,\u201d said Danny Stalmakov, a Germany-based software developer who graduated with his master\u2019s degree in computer science in 2022.\n <\/p>\n \n Stalmakov, who said he\u2019s submitted hundreds of applications over six months, has been told by recruiters that there are simply too many applicants for each role. But he also sees the benefit of AI, which now handles 80% of his development work.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWhile the productivity boost is incredible, it\u2019s also concerning \u2014 companies that used to need five developers might only need three now,\u201d he said.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThe AI impact on coding made me genuinely unsure about my future in software development, and I really don\u2019t know what my next move will be if the market stays like this,\u201d Stalmakov added.\n <\/p>\n \n Educators teaching coding and computer science are having to pivot their curriculum to prepare students for a rapidly evolving job market.\n <\/p>\n \n Magdalena Balazinska, director of the University of Washington\u2019s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, said the hiring slowdown is not just because AI is taking coding work. Tech companies are also right-sizing after a Covid-era hiring spree and need to spend wisely amid multibillion-dollar AI infrastructure investments.\n <\/p>\n \n Balazinska said it\u2019s not all doom and gloom \u2014 more than half of the school\u2019s approximately 675 graduates from the 2024-25 school year have already found full-time jobs at companies including Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Google.\n <\/p>\n \n Nonetheless, the school is evolving for the AI era, she said. It\u2019s rolling out a new \u201cAI-assisted software development\u201d course this fall, where students will learn about modern software engineering practices and the role of AI as a tool for that work.\n <\/p>\n \n Some advanced classes will also allow students to use generative AI, \u201cwhich is enabling faculty members to raise the level of difficulty and complexity of the projects,\u201d Balazinska said.\n <\/p>\n \n But introductory courses will still prohibit using AI for classwork \u2014 so students learn the basics without relying too much on the technology.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cOur philosophy has always been that computer science is a field that advances faster than any other field, so preparing students to advance with the field is the most important thing we can do,\u201d Balazinska said.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThere will be jobs for those who learn the latest advances in computing and those with excellent skills and knowledge,\u201d she said.\n <\/p>\n \n It\u2019s not just universities that are changing their approach. Coding bootcamps \u2014 specialized schools often catering to career switchers or students looking to pursue careers in tech without a four-year degree \u2014 have adapted, too.\n <\/p>\n \n The idea of landing a lucrative six-figure salary without a traditional degree, combined with an increased hiring demand from the tech industry, led to a boom in enrollment at these bootcamps throughout the 2010s. But Daniele Grassi, CEO of tech bootcamp General Assembly, said he\u2019s noticed a shift over the past couple of years in the types of customers coming to his school.\n <\/p>\n \n While General Assembly primarily attracted aspiring software engineers for much of its 14-year existence, the school is now also garnering interest from C-level executives, human resource managers and sales professionals interested in developing their AI skills.\n <\/p>\n \n As a result, General Assembly has begun creating programs specifically designed to help workers across all tiers of a company \u2014from entry level to the board of directors, whether the roles are technical or not \u2014 gain new AI skills, according to Grassi.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cSix months ago, or nine months ago \u2026 we realized that every role is disrupted,\u201d Grassi told CNN.\n <\/p>\n \n General Assembly has incorporated AI skills teachings into its programming across disciplines, said Jeffrey Bergin, the school\u2019s chief learning officer, so that everything it offers \u201cnow has an AI element.\u201d The school offers courses in data analytics, user experience design, data science and information technology in addition to software engineering.\n <\/p>\n \n Bergin said the school wants \u201cto make sure folks have what they need, both in being able to apply those skills and to take those skills into job interviews and into employers, and have those really resonate.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Tech leaders say they\u2019ll still need young people with computer science degrees, even if there are fewer jobs to go around.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThe thing people study is computer science, which is a lot more than code. It\u2019s understanding how these systems work,\u201d Deepak Singh, vice president of developer agents and experiences at Amazon Web Services, told CNN. \u201cThe critical thinking part doesn\u2019t change. You still need to be able to think, you need to be creative. I actually think it becomes more important because you have more time\u201d to be creative with AI doing the grunt work.\n <\/p>\n \n Still, that may be cold comfort to new grads, given Amazon CEO Andy Jassy\u2019s recent warning<\/a> that the company will need fewer human workers in the future as AI takes on more tasks.\n <\/p>\n \n Beyond big tech, many AI startups are also focused on growing with the smallest teams possible.\n <\/p>\n![\"graduate.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/graduate.jpg\")
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