Ten years ago, I stood at a University of Washington career fair with “line cook” at the top of my résumé and no idea what “big data in the cloud” meant. I just knew a job in tech would pay well. I was on a full scholarship through the Husky Promise and a Pell Grant, and was determined to work hard and be financially secure. I came from a family that worried about money, and I didn’t want to worry.
I landed a job with an API integrations startup and built a career in tech. Today, I’m head of partnerships at Huntr, a Seattle-based AI résumé builder and job-search management platform. Last month, I spoke with 100-plus tech-job seekers to help them understand this confusing and fractured job market. I recently published an analysis of 250,000 job postings, 55,000 résumés and 17,000 job searches, but talking to candidates made the reality clear.
Recent UW graduates are stepping into the worst job market for new entrants since 1988. But it’s not just the young who are struggling. I met a woman in her mid-50s, at her peak earning potential, now eight months into her job search and planning a move to Mexico for an early retirement. She hopes her savings will last until she can access her 401(k) without penalty.
Debate surrounds the tech job decline, especially AI’s role, but what makes this moment even more unique is who it’s affecting: the overachievers. For the first time, many are struggling with economic uncertainty, realizing that effort alone isn’t enough. I met with recent computer science graduates, top-tier MBAs and sales executives who’ve generated millions. These are the people who were always told they would “land on their feet,” facing rejection after rejection.
According to Huntr’s Q2 job search trends report, Seattle is second only to San Francisco for software jobs, and Washington’s tech sector boasts a median salary of $128,250.” That doesn’t mean much when you’re unemployed.
For a generation, Seattle’s skyline has been transformed by the tech boom. Now, with the industry showing cracks, the future of those jobs is uncertain.
For those in the community currently navigating this difficult market, here’s some practical, data-backed advice:
● Tailor your résumé. Our data shows that a résumé customized for each job is twice as likely to land an interview as a generic one.
● Diversify your search. Look beyond LinkedIn, as job boards like Wellfound and Welcome to the Jungle show high interview conversion rates.
● Write a compelling summary. Hiring managers spend just seconds on each application, so put your most impactful, relevant achievement right at the top.
On a broader scale, we must recognize that industries can dismantle cities as quickly as they build them, a lesson the Midwest learned with manufacturing.
While I pursue a tech career, my brothers continue our family’s legacy on our five-generation organic farm in Western Washington. I join them when I can, finding a sense of purpose in the work. The age of AI may just end up leading us back to more tangible work, not as a retreat from opportunity or comfort, but as a source of meaning in a future where our jobs no longer define our identities.
When the pandemic left me unemployed, I returned to my family’s farm. It was a place of safety in a world that felt cold and uncertain. My dream now is to build a neighborhood on a productive small farm to allow others to feel that sense of security too, regardless of the volatility of the job market.
It is incumbent on the city of Seattle and tech leaders to steward our region’s wealth with today’s students, and the next thousand generations in mind. While industries rise and fall, sound investment is known; local food and energy production are vital to a healthy, resilient region. Not just good-paying jobs but jobs protected from national and global volatility. When we invest in these basics, we invest in ourselves with a home market of our goods and more security for the people of our region.
For me, investing in our community’s future looks like joining Coastal Farmland Trust, a new nonprofit dedicated to long-term, secure and affordable land tenure for the next generations of farmers in Northwest Washington. What does it look like for you?
