$165,000 tech dreams shatter as job market tanks — Computer Science grads now serving at Chipotle

Fresh computer science graduates, who were promised $165K salaries and limitless opportunities, are now facing mass layoffs, AI competition, and ghosted job applications. Many people are turning to the service industry while looking for dwindling tech jobs, revealing a stark shift in a job market that used to guarantee high pay and security.

There was a time when "learn to code" seemed like a golden ticket. Today, many new computer science graduates see it as a ticket to nowhere. With layoffs sweeping the tech industry and AI replacing entry-level coders, some are trading laptops for aprons and it's breaking their spirits.

High school counselors, tech CEOs, and even presidents have been telling kids for years to learn how to code. The offer was too good to pass up: get a degree in computer science, work hard, and you could get a job with a six-figure salary, great benefits, and a career that would last forever, as per a report by The NY Times.


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But that dream has died for today's new graduates.

Why are new grads suddenly losing tech jobs?

The job market is unlike anything we've seen in over ten years for the class of 2024. Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and Intel are just a few of the big companies that have cut thousands of jobs. AI programming assistants can also make whole codebases in seconds, so many companies no longer need teams of junior developers, as per a report by The NY Times.


Manasi Mishra, 21, grew up in San Ramon, California. She made her first website in elementary school and has always been interested in computer science. She graduated from Purdue in May, but she didn't get any job offers. The only thing she got was an interview with Chipotle.

Not just her. According to data from the Federal Reserve, the unemployment rate for recent computer science graduates has risen to over 6%, which is twice as high as the rate for some liberal arts majors. It's a shocking change for a field that used to be full of job offers, as per a report by The NY Times.

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How is AI changing the way people get hired at the entry level?

Many junior jobs are quietly going away because of AI tools like CodeRabbit and GitHub Copilot. Matthew Martin, a senior economist at Oxford Economics, says, "The jobs that are most likely to be automated are the ones that recent grads want."

Algorithms are now often used to help with the hiring process. AI scans resumes, ranks them, and rejects most of them in minutes. Many applicants never talk to a person. Audrey Roller, who just graduated, said she got one rejection just three minutes after she applied.

The end result? A loop that makes you feel bad. Graduates use AI tools to apply faster, companies use AI to sort through applications faster, and people get lost in the process.

What will the class of 2024 do next in tech?

Some, like Zach Taylor, a graduate of Oregon State, are never-ending. He has applied for more than 5,700 tech jobs and hasn't gotten any. Some are changing direction. After almost getting hit by a car while eating at Chipotle, Mishra realized she liked tech marketing more than just coding. She sent in an application for a sales job at a tech company without knowing anyone there, and she finally got the job, as per a report by The NY Times.

At the same time, leaders in the industry are changing their pep talks from "learn to code" to "learn AI." Microsoft has promised billions of dollars for AI training, and policymakers are trying to figure out how to get students ready for an industry that changes faster than any syllabus can keep up.

The story of America's newest computer science graduates is a sad one: the time when they could be sure of getting high-paying tech jobs is over. And while some will change, a lot of people are finding out that a degree in coding doesn't guarantee a good job in 2024, as per a report by The NY Times.

FAQs

Why are so many new computer science graduates struggling to find work?
Layoffs at major tech firms, combined with AI tools that automate coding tasks, have sharply reduced entry-level opportunities.

Are some CS grads really applying for fast-food jobs?
Yes, some have applied to restaurants like Chipotle or McDonald’s just to cover expenses while waiting for tech openings.