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Economic Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Experience vs. AI: Why this 59-year-old engineer is not worried, even after 4 layoffs
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 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 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.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Experience vs. AI: Why this 59-year-old engineer is not worried, even after 4 layoffs
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel 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 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 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 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 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.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Fired 4 times in 18 years, this engineer says ‘AI is not the problem' behind tech layoffs
Marc Kriguer, a seasoned software engineer with nearly 30 years of work experience in the tech world, has weathered more than his fair share of professional storms. At 59, he's been laid off four times over the past 18 years, most recently from Walmart Global Tech, where he was part of a sweeping round of cuts that affected roughly 1,500 employees. In a candid essay for Business Insider, Kriguer opened up about his journey through an industry that's constantly shifting. His fascination with computers began before most kids had even seen one, he was debugging code before age 10. After officially stepping into the tech industry nearly three decades ago, his first major career setback came in 2008, when Sun Microsystems let him go just ahead of its acquisition by Oracle. Other layoffs followed, including one during the early Covid-19 outbreak and another at a company focused on plagiarism detection. Despite the rapid rise of AI tools in software development, Kriguer doesn't think automation is the main culprit behind the wave of tech layoffs. He admits he was initially reluctant to adopt AI for coding but sees value in using it to check work. Still, he's noticed a shift, many job postings now list AI proficiency as either a preferred or required skill, hinting at a future where it might be non-negotiable. Kriguer sees a different root cause behind the layoffs: 'Companies hire too quickly,' he told Business Insider, citing the pressures of venture capital and the high cost of tech salaries. To him, the issue is less about disruptive technology and more about unsustainable hiring sprees and subsequent budget cuts. Even with the challenges, Kriguer hasn't lost hope. He's actively applying for new roles, about 40 so far, and has made it to interviews with 15 companies. While he admits that the software engineering landscape isn't expanding as fast as it once did, he still sees opportunities: 'Demand hasn't disappeared,' he says, and he believes experience and the ability to adapt remain valuable in today's tech world.
NDTV
01-08-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Techie Fired 4 Times Shares Why He's Not Afraid Of AI Taking Jobs
Marc Kriguer, a 59-year-old software engineer with nearly three decades of experience, has faced four job losses in the past 18 years, most recently from Walmart Global Tech. In an essay he wrote for Business Insider, Kriguer shared his journey through a volatile tech job market and his views on the industry's evolving demands. Kriguer's passion for coding began early, debugging programs before he turned 10. He officially entered the tech field 28 years ago, and his first layoff came in 2008 at Sun Microsystems, just before its acquisition by Oracle. Since then, he's experienced layoffs at a plagiarism-checking company, another firm during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, and most recently, as part of a workforce reduction that cut around 1,500 roles at Walmart, he wrote. Despite the growing influence of AI in software development, Kriguer doesn't believe it's the main cause of widespread tech layoffs. While he resisted using AI tools to write code, he acknowledges their usefulness in reviewing it. However, he notes that many job listings now prefer or require AI experience, which could soon become a standard expectation in the field. According to the Business Insider, Kriguer believes frequent layoffs stem more from overhiring and cost-cutting than from technological advances. "Companies hire too quickly," he says, pointing to the pressures from venture capital funding and the high salaries of software engineers as reasons they're often targeted in downsizing efforts. Despite setbacks, Kriguer remains optimistic. He's currently job hunting, having applied to around 40 positions and interviewed with 15 companies. Though the role of software engineer may not be growing rapidly, he says demand hasn't disappeared, and he's confident that experience and adaptability still count.
