Hey everyone,
I’ve been seeing a lot of news lately about layoffs in the tech industry—recent discussions about large-scale cuts (like the reported Oracle layoffs) have made things feel quite uncertain.
As a fresher, it’s honestly a bit concerning. I wanted to get some perspective from people who’ve been in the industry longer:
Where do you think the CS/IT job market is actually heading in the next few years?
Are these layoffs just temporary corrections, or is there a deeper shift happening?
What should freshers realistically focus on right now to stay relevant and competitive?
Another thing that’s been on my mind is AI. It feels like many technical tasks (especially in web development) can now be done with a single prompt.
So I’m wondering:
Is traditional web development losing its value?
Or is the skillset just evolving rather than disappearing?
Also, with technology moving this fast, how do you personally keep up without feeling overwhelmed?
Would really appreciate honest insights—especially from people currently working in the field. Thanks in advance! 
Hey, I’m in the same boat still at uni and trying to make sense of all this. My teachers are split: one thinks AI will replace most of us, while the other says AI is just becoming a “high‑level” tool and the real value is in people who can combine it with real engineering. I think the massive cuts now come from a mix of AI‑driven efficiency and an over‑correction after the hiring boom right after COVID‑19. Companies overhired when everything went digital, and now they’re trimming headcount while investing more in AI and cloud instead of just raw numbers.
Traditional web development isn’t disappearing, but its value is shifting. A lot of boilerplate can be generated with a prompt, so just building CRUD apps isn’t special anymore. What matters more is designing solid systems, thinking about security and performance, and using AI as a lever. For freshers like us, the focus should be on going deeper in a narrower stack (like full‑stack + cloud or security), becoming AI‑augmented with tools and prompt engineering, and owning projects end‑to‑end instead of just writing code.
To keep up without burning out, I try to stick to fundamentals first (data structures, algorithms, networking, systems, security) and then add fast‑moving tools on top. I also follow a “one small learning habit per week” like a small AI‑coding trick, a cloud lab, or a CTF so it feels manageable instead of overwhelming. For me this feels less like “the sky is falling” and more like the market rebalancing after COVID‑19 toward roles where AI is a multiplier, not a replacement.
Hey there 
Well in my opinion, AI is becoming a really strong tool for people to use. And like the internet a few years ago, the imagination is the only bound. And also like the internet, it all depends on how you use it. I’ve recently seen real life examples where people get laid off then new people get hired who know how to use the AI the company is trying to adapt. Ultimately, I like to think that no matter what, AI will have a big part in the future which we can all agree on, so I just want to know it well to be able to use/apply/fix it no matter what future AI will bring us. That way I can try to be a part of the wave instead of getting swept by it.
Just my opinion so take it with a grain of salt.
All the best 