The Harsh Truth About Getting a Software Job in 2025

Now I know many of you are thinking about the same question, most of you (if not all) are definitely tired of chasing coding job opportunities, and are tired of what we call the "rat-race", the good news is that I've spent enough time following the job market to point out the causes so that you can navigate away from them, and include an example of what you could do about it:

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1. Low quality applicants:

Before we had AI (pre 2022), having a bug in your code required 20+ open Chrome tabs, dozens of questions on Stack Overflow/Reddit, and extensive study of documentation, which made programmers subconsciously retain this information so that it won't cost as much effort when it is needed again, effectively building their skillset.

However, now with the rise of AI and ChatGPT, you don't just have a "chatbot" but also a pair programmer that can somewhat build an app for you without having the required skill, so now, there are many more people applying for jobs without enough practice, which makes it harder for employers to find skilled candidates, and therefore making it harder for beginners to stand out...

What to do?

Test your skills the old-fashioned way. Open Visual Studio Code (or any editor that you use) and build a simple app without using ChatGPT once. If it goes smoothly, try something harder. Keep pushing until you hit a level that feels challenging — that’s your true skill level. Then build up from there.

2. Asking the wrong questions

Most of you guys ask:

How do I get a software engineering job?

Which is a big problem, you're not asking the right question, but rather limiting yourself into thinking a mere tool when you could be the engine, so instead of specifically looking for "just a job", replace it with:

How do I earn from coding?

This totally shifts the mindset and automatically unlocks multiple options, one of which is creating a SaaS (acronym for Software-as-a-Service) that you can charge users for, or become a freelancer which isn't a "job" in the way you might think, but is still the way in which a decent proportion of developers earn money.

The only problem with freelancing is that you HAVE to market your services, which is why most people quit, but it's definitely worth it in the end :).

What to do?

I'd start exploring options for both active and passive income ideas, here are a few ideas for you to explore below that are other than a traditional job with a slight skim of what to expect:

• Start a YouTube Channel: Learn basic video editing or hire a video editor, consistently upload shorts that deliver value until you achieve the YouTube partner program requirements, from there, you'll have built your first passive income stream :).

• Freelancing: Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, or Freelancer are good starting points. I personally prefer Upwork, I’ve noticed that some platforms allow a lot of automated bidding or other practices that can make competition tougher, so your experience may vary, but it’s worth testing multiple platforms to see which works best for you.

• Build a freemium model SaaS: NEVER ask ChatGPT for SaaS ideas, they're way too generic, and they rarely work, instead look for well-earning SaaS services, and create one with a slight twist which adds features that this service couldn't deliver, or had behind a paywall, one of the ideas that had crossed my mind but I didn't have the time to build is to exploit Obsidian's janky mobile UI to create a mobile-first markdown note editor with a more intuitive UI/UX.

3. Underestimating your network

Can't lie about this but, we all don't want to go on LinkedIn, or have to post these "very excited to blah blah" kind of posts, but you know? You don't have to! LinkedIn is more than just a "corporate Facebook"; it is a tool to network, and by networking, I mean connections, the more people you connect with, the more visibility and traction you could gain, still, it isn't the ONLY way you can go out there and get noticed, going as simple as Reddit communities, Discord servers, WhatsApp groups or just day-to-day interactions can go a very long way.

You can't simply turn a blind eye to the fact that the job market relies heavily on who you know rather than what you know..

What to do?

Start looking around you, if you study CS or whatever major, connect with your classmates, relatives, even if they're not developers or into tech in general, personally the way I got my first software engineering job was through my friend who had studied business administration and got a HR position at a local company, put yourself out there, display your work in your GitHub profile or a personal portfolio (optional but recommended) and you'll definitely come across a couple opportunities, still, you can't expect it not to take time, though nothing is impossible :)

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And I guess that's it for this post, I hope you extract the most value from this post as you can, since I'm speaking from mere experience, and patterns that I've noticed throughout my rather ongoing short tenure as a software engineer..

Thanks for reading :)