Experience vs. AI: Why this 59-year-old engineer is not worried, even after 4 layoffs

Time of India

15 hours ago

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Marc Kriguer, a 59-year-old software engineer with nearly three decades of experience, has weathered four layoffs over the past 18 years — the most recent from Walmart Global Tech. In a personal essay published by Business Insider, he reflected on his extensive tech career, sharing insights on the evolving nature of the industry and its shifting priorities.Kriguer's passion for coding began early, debugging software before turning 10. His professional journey started 28 years ago, with the first layoff hitting in 2008 at Sun Microsystems, just before Oracle acquired the company. Since then, he's lost roles at a plagiarism detection firm, another organization during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently, Walmart, which recently slashed around 1,500 positions, he noted.While acknowledging AI's growing presence in software development, Kriguer doesn't believe it's the core reason behind the widespread tech layoffs. Though initially skeptical about using AI for writing code, he now finds it beneficial for code review. Still, he points out that AI-related skills are increasingly being listed as either preferred or required in job listings — highlighting a notable shift in hiring expectations.Kriguer shared with Business Insider that he attributes the layoffs more to overhiring and financial cutbacks than to technological advances. 'Companies hire too quickly,' he said, explaining that pressure from venture capital firms and the high salaries of engineers often result in developers being the first to go. 'The issue is that you do need engineers. Bugs will turn up, and you eventually need to revisit the code. You can't just assume, 'Okay, we finished our product, we're done. We don't need the engineers anymore,'' he emphasized.Despite the setbacks, Kriguer remains optimistic. 'Even though I've lost my job several times, I've never looked for a job for more than five months. This time around, I've applied to maybe 40 jobs and interviewed with about 15 companies so far,' he told Business Insider. Though the software engineering field may not be as vibrant as it once was, he believes the demand persists — and that adaptability and experience still hold strong value.