6,000 Applications. 0 Jobs. What Went Wrong?

6,000 Applications. 0 Jobs. What Went Wrong?In this episode, Danny & Leon break down the recent New York Times article about the collapse of $165,000 tech jobs — and why so many new computer science graduates are struggling to find work.This one gets personal. We dig into salary expectations, the rise of AI coding tools, offshoring, and the real reasons grads are stuck. Plus, we share how bad advice keeps job seekers trapped, and why networking + projects matter more than ever.⚠️ Disclaimer: This episode is heavier than usual. We felt deeply for the people featured in this article — so much so that we reached out to one of them, Zach, who applied to nearly 6,000 jobs, and spent 90 minutes helping him reframe his job search strategy. Our goal isn’t to mock, but to help anyone who feels stuck right now.If you’re in the middle of the job hunt, or just want to understand what’s happening in tech careers in 2025 — this is a must-listen.NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/Stay in Touch:📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at [email protected]!Danny Thompsonhttps://x.com/DThompsonDevhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDevwww.DThompsonDev.comLeon Noelhttps://x.com/leonnoelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/https://100devs.org/📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at [email protected]!⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Disclaimer & why this episode is different03:19 – Why we reacted to the NYT article live05:25 – Setting the stage: “Goodbye $165K tech jobs”06:59 – The salary inflation problem08:03 – Networking: why tech is no longer a free pass10:10 – Purdue grad struggles despite strong background15:23 – The promise (and failure) of the CS degree18:18 – The “learn to code = six figures” myth20:22 – FANG vs. reality: most jobs aren’t like that22:01 – Is AI really taking developer jobs? (spoiler: no)23:53 – Offshoring is the real threat25:39 – Headcount growth vs. layoff panic26:32 – Unemployment rates: myth vs. reality29:20 – The hidden flaw in applying to 6,000 jobs32:21 – “Clickers” & why mass-applying doesn’t work34:02 – Bootcamps & the cycle of bad advice35:38 – Ghosting, coding assessments & job search burnout39:02 – Zach’s story: 5,762 applications, 0 jobs41:01 – Why customizing your resume matters43:08 – The wrong vs. right way to job hunt46:13 – Reddit resumes & bad job hunt advice47:23 – Misreporting AI tools (CodeRabbit example)49:24 – The AI doom loop in job search52:12 – Government jobs, hiring freezes & policy shifts53:00 – The Purdue grad pivots to tech sales55:03 – Why the article fails its own subjects57:22 – Offshoring vs. AI (the real culprit)58:00 – What job seekers should be doing now59:32 – Listener Q&A: networking while still learning01:03:46 – The power of small, intentional networking01:06:11 – Balancing a non-tech job & coding journey01:09:49 – Final advice & episode wrap-up