Engineering Jobs Outlook

The Truth About B.Tech Placements in 2025-26: Tough Year, But Filled With Opportunity This week’s placement and hiring news has made one thing very clear: The market may be selective, but it is absolutely not closed. Here are a few important signals: - IIT Kanpur started its 2025–26 placement season with 672 job offers on Day 1 — a 16% jump from last year. - That is not a market slowing down; it’s a market becoming more selective and skill-driven. - Even with global tech layoffs, demand for specialised roles in AI, data, cloud, security, and backend engineering remains strong across India. Companies are hiring fewer people, but hiring better people. - Institutes have begun holding companies accountable — several were barred from participating this year for rescinding offers previously. This shift is making the placement ecosystem more stable and transparent. - Surveys this week also showed that engineers who actively use AI tools at work are reporting higher productivity and better performance outcomes, not job insecurity. So what does all this mean for B.Tech students? It means that the old formula — “degree + placement season = job” — is fading. But a new formula is taking its place: skills + projects + consistency = strong career opportunities. If you build your fundamentals, if you can solve problems, if you can ship real projects, if you can communicate clearly — the opportunities are still very much there. This is not a bad time to be an engineering student. This is a time that rewards people who take ownership of their learning. Focus on what you can control. Build depth. Stay consistent. And remember: companies are not looking for the most qualified students — they are looking for the most capable ones. #Engineering #Placements2025 #FutureOfWork #IndiaTech #Careers #Skills #BTech #Motivation

Here's something worth paying attention to, especially if you work in tech or advise people who do. Despite all the noise about AI killing jobs, the data tells a different story. Lenny Rachitsky's March 2026 State of the Product Job Market shows PM openings at their highest in over three years (7,379 globally — up 79% from the 2023 low), engineering roles still growing (67,000+ open roles), and AI-specific roles quite simply exploding. What I find most interesting isn't the headline numbers. It's the design story. Design roles have flatlined since 2023 while PM and eng keep climbing — and the PM-to-designer demand ratio has actually flipped, now 1.27x in PM's favor. Lenny's read: AI is letting engineers move so fast that the traditional design process is increasingly being bypassed. Here's what I'd add — this isn't AI eliminating creativity. It's reshaping where humans add value in the product cycle. The deeper implication for anyone building teams or careers: it's not about whether AI takes jobs. It's about which capabilities become more valuable, and which become easier to automate. The winners won't be those who fear the shift. They'll be those who reposition ahead of it. What are you seeing in your own hiring or job search right now? 📎 Full report: https://lnkd.in/dS6c93yT #TechJobs #ProductManagement #AI #FutureOfWork #CareerStrategy #Leadership

What’s Really Happening in the Tech Job Market — And What to Expect in Q4 2025 & Q1 2026 As we head into the final stretch of 2025, the tech job market is showing a mix of stabilization, selective expansion, and continued recalibration. After two years of volatility, we’re finally seeing clearer signals about where hiring is headed — and what candidates and companies should expect in the months ahead. Over the last two quarters, companies have shifted from broad hiring freezes to targeted, high-impact recruiting. AI-driven roles continue to dominate demand — not just for researchers and engineers, but for applied AI talent, product builders, data/ML specialists, and operators who can turn AI capabilities into revenue. At the same time, sales, customer success, and GTM roles have started to rebound as companies push harder toward monetization and efficiency. In Q4 2025, expect hiring to remain purposeful rather than expansive. Companies are prioritizing candidates who can deliver measurable outcomes quickly. “Lean but strong” teams are the norm, and employers are moving faster on top-tier profiles while still maintaining a high bar. Looking ahead to Q1 2026, hiring momentum is likely to accelerate. Many organizations that postponed headcount in 2025 are planning to open roles tied to growth initiatives, new product launches, and AI integration efforts. We’re already seeing early signs: more inbound searches, increased recruiter activity, and companies refreshing their talent pipelines ahead of the new fiscal year. For candidates, the advantage goes to those who can clearly articulate impact, adaptability, and experience with AI-related workflows — regardless of role. For companies, competition for top talent will tighten again, especially in AI, infra, security, and senior-level product and engineering leadership. The market is no longer chaotic — it’s becoming strategic. And those who prepare now will be the ones who win early next year.

The gap between data and reality is widening fast. Engineer pay is rising again. But maybe not as much as the headlines say. You’ve probably heard it: “Mid-career engineers are getting 15–18% raises.” The reality? Closer to 8–12%. Still a big jump — especially in an industry that usually creeps up 3–4% a year. Here’s what’s really driving it: • Record project backlogs • Limited supply of PE-level transmission and substation talent • Developers, EPCs, and utilities chasing the same people Salary surveys can’t keep up. By the time data is published, the market’s already moved. Firms are getting creative. Retention bonuses. Hybrid flexibility. Title bumps. Whether you’re leading an engineering team or recruiting for one — the question isn’t if comp pressure is real. It’s how you’re responding to it. What are you seeing in your market right now? Are salaries really climbing that fast — or are firms finding smarter ways to hold the line? #engineering #recruiting #utilities

Software engineering jobs are at a 5 year low. LinkedIn job postings are 38% down. YoY hiring has dropped by 45%. New grad hiring in BigTech is -25% and -11% for startups. The tech hiring landscape has undergone a massive shift globally in the last 1 year alone. Tech companies are now preferring experience (anywhere between 2-10 YOE) for engineering openings. Here's a benchmark of the in-hand salaries (pre-tax) given by the top 5 BigTech vs. the top 5 startups to software engineers in India: BigTech (Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Google) - 2-4 YOE: 34.4 lakhs ($40k) 4-6 YOE: 46 lakhs ($53.5k) 6-8 YOE: 67.6 lakhs ($78.6k) 8-10 YOE: 76.2 lakhs ($88.6k) Startups (Swiggy, Cred, Rubrik, Zomato, Razorpay) - 2-4 YOE: 27.2 lakhs ($31.6k) 4-6 YOE: 41.6 lakhs ($48.4k) 6-8 YOE: 47.8 lakhs ($55.6k) 8-10 YOE: 62.2 lakhs ($72.3k) So while entry-level hiring has frozen, developers with credible experience continue to draw premium packages in the new AI economy. All numbers have been sourced from a mix of compensation benchmarking sites and, of course, the Weekday database.

The U.S. semiconductor industry needs 115,000 new employees by 2030. Nearly 67,000 of those roles are at risk of going unfilled. Because most engineers do not even know they are there. Everyone is chasing AI and software roles right now. Meanwhile, TSMC just committed 65 billion to build three fabs in Arizona. Samsung is putting 40 billion into Texas. Intel is expanding in Ohio, Arizona, and New Mexico. 18 new fabs started construction in 2025 alone. The irony is hard to miss. The AI boom everyone is chasing runs on chips. And the industry that builds those chips cannot find enough engineers to keep up. These are not low-paying roles either. NVIDIA verification engineers make a median of 263K total comp. ASIC verification leads bill at 125 to 250 per hour. Semiconductor engineer rates are climbing 18% year over year. If you are an electrical engineer, a process engineer, a materials scientist, a test engineer, or a design engineer, this industry needs you right now more than it has in decades. Here is where to start looking: → NVIDIA: https://lnkd.in/eaaq9-CG → TSMC: https://lnkd.in/e23SVyMb → Intel: https://lnkd.in/e8WhsPTM → Micron: https://lnkd.in/e7zJzJts → AMD: https://lnkd.in/eKdX2vPM Bookmark these pages. Check them weekly. Set up job alerts. Most of these companies are hiring across Arizona, Texas, Ohio, Oregon, New York, and California right now. If you are a STEM professional and you have been applying only to software roles because you thought that is where the market is, take another look. The biggest hiring wave in American hardware history is happening right now. And most people are looking the other way. If you are a semiconductor or hardware engineer and you want to understand how to position yourself for these roles, send me a message with your current role and the company you are targeting. Or book a strategy session. I will share what is working right now for the engineers I work with. Save this if you are in electrical engineering, materials science, or any hardware discipline. Follow Amith Narayan, PhD for more on how STEM professionals land interviews and offers.

𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻? The software engineering job market has transformed dramatically since its 2022 peak, with positions down 150%. Starting in late 2022, layoffs hit tech hard. Hiring slowed, and many junior and mid-level roles disappeared. Even experienced engineers felt the pressure. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵. Also, AI forces us to learn new skills, while non-AI companies face tighter funding and stagnant compensation. Meta's recent message with layoffs was clear: "These were our lowest performers, good riddance." Companies now 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺-𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. The era of being treated as "special little geniuses" with unlimited perks is over. How we can adapt as an engineer in 2025: 🔹 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲—𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀: Learn product thinking and business impact. 🔹 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: Focus on the 2-3 initiatives your leadership cares about, not what engineers find interesting 🔹 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲: Tie your work directly to business metrics; vague "developer experience" improvements won't save you in layoffs 🔹 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗜-𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Learn prompt engineering and use tools like GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, and Cody to multiply productivity. Be a master of vibe coding. 🔹 𝗖𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁: If you don't proactively abandon low-priority work, decisions will be made for you 🔹 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀, such as distributed systems, performance, infrastructure, security, and data engineering. These are difficult to automate and outsource. 🔹 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀: Create visibility for your contributions with weekly accomplishment emails to leadership 🔹 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆: Build relationships with high-performers in revenue-generating teams. This is probably the most important thing you can do. I've had several conversations with talented senior engineers struggling to find work for months. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱. If you have a stable job, please keep it and make yourself valuable. The engineers who will survive aren't the ones with the latest tech skills—they're the ones who will add value to their companies in 2025. Image: Visual Capitalist. #technology #softwareenginering #programming #coding #career

The Harsh Truth About the Job Market in 2026 The market isn’t “bad” it’s just unforgiving In 2020–2022, demand was high and hiring was aggressive. In 2026, the bar is higher, budgets are tighter, and expectations are clearer Here’s what’s actually happening: 1️⃣ AI raised the baseline If AI can help write boilerplate, generate tests, or draft documentation companies now expect engineers to operate at a higher abstraction level Thinking > typing 2️⃣ Junior roles aren’t disappearing they’re evolving! You’re no longer hired just to “execute tickets” you’re expected to understand impact, trade-offs, and ownership early 3️⃣ Experience alone isn’t a moat anymore Years matter less than proof of problem solving ability. Show systems built. Show decisions made. Show measurable outcomes 4️⃣ Speed of learning is the new job security Tech stacks change. Tools evolve. The only stable edge is adaptability The uncomfortable truth? It’s not enough to be good You have to be useful not loud on LinkedIn Not just solving 500 LeetCode questions Not collecting certificates But actually creating leverage for a team or a business 2026 rewards: 📍 Builders 📍 Clear thinkers 📍 People who take ownership 📍 Engineers who understand business context 📍 The job market didn’t collapse it matured And maturity demands more from us. What’s one skill you think will matter most in the next 2–3 years? #Careers #AI #TechIndustry #JobMarket #Engineering #Growth

Adelaide is facing an extreme talent shortage across Engineering. I’m seeing roles stay open for months, from Structural Engineers to Mechanical, Electrical, and other Building Services roles, through to Manufacturing and Design Engineering roles. Projects are ramping up across Defence, Infrastructure, Buildings and Manufacturing. But the skilled people simply aren’t there in the numbers we need. And it’s not just “nice to have” talent. It’s the roles critical for timelines, budgets, and actually delivering projects. Here’s what I’m hearing from businesses: - Salaries are skyrocketing, but money alone isn’t sealing the deal. - Skilled migrants are crucial, but they're not getting their overseas skills recognised. - Companies must move fast or lose candidates to competitors. If you’re an Engineer considering a move, Adelaide is full of opportunity right now. If you’re hiring, think beyond salary. Culture, career development, and genuine flexibility are your edge. This is a defining moment for SA’s engineering sector. The companies who adapt fastest will win. #Engineering #Adelaide #TalentShortage #Recruitment

Yes, the tech job market is still expected to have an upward trajectory in 2024. Here’s the data. 📈 2023 was an interesting year. Looking back, it’s easy to focus on the challenges—global economic slowdown, a looming threat of a recession, the Russia-Ukraine war, and mass layoffs at many of the big tech companies dominating the headlines. Yet, as we step into 2024, I think it is time to reflect on some of the good news and share some optimism for the look ahead.  Let’s start with the fact that despite the high-profile layoffs last year, the overall tech industry added 240,000 jobs, a 50% increase from the previous year. The momentum didn’t stop there: in March 2024 alone, we added another 203,000 jobs in the tech sector. The IT unemployment rate held steady at 2.4%, which is considered full employment by any measure. Here are a few more uplifting insights: 🖥️ The $245-billion IT services industry has implemented salary increases ranging from 10%-15% for specified roles, a testament to the positive outlook for compensation (TechFair.com). 🖥️ Net tech employment spanning tech industry and tech occupation employment, now totals over 9.6 million workers (CompTIA).  🖥️ 61% of tech managers planning to hire for new roles in 2024 (TechFair.com).  These statistics are not just numbers. They represent opportunities, growth, and the resilience of our industry. I hope you find these insights and our full IT Labor Trends report (linked in the comments below) helpful in navigating the labor market and informing your hiring and retention efforts.  Let’s keep pushing forward, embracing challenges and opportunities alike.  #Dexian #TechIndustry #Leadership #Innovation #CareerGrowth #TechTrends