r/cscareeradvice

Tbh I completely lost motivation to learn new CS topics. Before AI I used to enjoy digging into complex things, systems design, low level stuff, algorithms, architecture… now it feels pointless sometimes.

AI can generate code in seconds, and honestly in many cases the code quality is already better than what average or even senior engineers write. Coding itself feels cheaper and cheaper every month.

Now I keep asking myself: what’s even worth learning anymore as a software engineer?

So am working at Walt Disney as VFX Artist and i know it might be irrelevant but our industry is very over saturated right now with lots of people for same job and near low to career growth. So am currently pursuing cs and thought i could switch to IT. Been doing python thinking doing specialised masters in AI/ML. But read some posts regarding ML jobs and it reads same as vfx. People saying its over saturated for newbies and junuor positions near to no. I dont want to give another more years of my life for something i would regret doing i know every job market right now is down but it is going to be better right?

What is it the software engineers are doing that makes them so valuable. I have done programming but when I see diagrams of pipelines for tools I'm so confused by how convoluted they are , going to AWS, 12 Different servers, optimisting preloading. What is all this from, how can I understand it to also be able to create industry level platforms? I'm so used to local applications that I never understood why cloud apps needed hundreds of people to work on them

Hi everyone,

I’m a 38-year-old mechatronics engineer working in the US. I’m thinking about doing a Master’s in CS because I want to move more into AI and software.

My question is about timing. AI is growing very fast and changing every few months. I wonder if a Master’s is still a good investment today.

Also, because of my background, I’m not sure if I should focus more on robotics + AI or go fully into CS.

For people who went back to school later in their career:
Was it worth it? Did it help your career?

Any advice for someone with an engineering background?
I would like to hear your experience. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I am currently learning:
- JavaScript
- React
- Next.js
- Node.js
- Express.js
- MongoDB

I need advice on:
- Getting internships
- Building strong projects
- Resume improvement
- Interview preparation
- DSA vs project focus
- Becoming job-ready

Any advice from experienced developers would help.

Thank you.

Hi I’m a sde in service based company closing on 3 YOE. I’ve been stuck in loop of fear and procrastination since last two years. I didn’t take placement seriously and landed with job that I got with hasty preparation. But the the real issue in I feel I’m not a real developer. When I start preparing I panic knowing how much I need to do and give up. But I don’t want to be trapped here under fear and anxiety. So I’m looking for long term suggestions on switch prep and getting good in software development

Ten months ago I was laid off before I could retire — after 34 years at the same firm. I'm in IT. I've never built a startup. I've never done marketing. I didn't know what to do next.

So I did the only thing I know how to do: I started building.

I taught myself AI development and created a career guidance tool — not to sell anything, but because I genuinely believe the job search process is broken for a lot of people, especially those re-entering the workforce without a support system.

Last month, someone who had been unemployed for nearly a year after graduating — stuck, frustrated, losing confidence — tried an early beta version. He got a job.

That one result reminded me why I started.

Here's what building this taught me about job searching:

The skills gap is real, but specific. Most job seekers don't lack ability — they lack visibility into which skill to close next. "Learn Python!" isn't advice.

Confidence collapses faster than skills do. Long unemployment does psychological damage that job boards never address. Small, visible wins matter more than comprehensive solutions.

AI tools can genuinely help — but only if you know how to use them. Most people don't, however, I believe in networking, which still beats applications. Every time. The ratio is brutal but consistent.

If you're navigating a layoff after decades at one company like me, a long job search, or a career change into tech — I'm happy to answer questions. That's exactly who I built this for.

(Built a free career guidance tool to do skill gaps analysis — curious what it's called? DM me. Not posting links per the rules here.)

I seriously don’t understand this market anymore.

Good resume.
Real projects.
Backend experience.
LeetCode.
Certifications.
Applications everywhere.

Still rejection after rejection.

At this point I want to know:
How are people actually getting high-paying software engineering jobs right now?

Is it referrals?
Networking?
Open source?
Cold DMs?
Luck?

People who recently got hired:
What ACTUALLY worked for you?

Because the “just keep applying” advice clearly isn’t enough anymore.

Hi everyone!

Background:

• Graduating Spring 2026, ~1 year at a non-profit cancer research (interned summer 2025, returned full-time April 2026 as Data Engineer)
• Comp is <$110k, fully remote, living at home in the Bay Area, I can just play the long game -> but i don't want to I want to get out there and chase
• Manager has indicated I'm tracking for promotion by end of 2027
• Genuinely love my team. Good people, supportive manager, stable + well-funded org, meaningful mission. No complaints about the actual job, this post is purely me thinking ahead about my career beyond this company.
• I am being transitioned to own a data product within company by July since I initiated it as an intern and am very comfortable within it

My concern:

Our stack is Python, SQL, AWS (Lambda, Glue, Aurora) GCP, Terraform, potentially iceberg. Solid stuff, but we don't use Spark, Kafka, Snowflake, Databricks, Iceberg, dbt, Airflow, or really any of the "modern" DE tools that dominate job postings. I'm worried that even with strong scope and a promotion, I'm building experience on a stack that doesn't transfer cleanly to where the market is going.

My rough plan:

• Throw applications out for Fall 2026 new grad cycles, don't expect much but applications are free and i have just picked up prepping again
• Realistic target is Fall 2027 / mid-2028 since I've fell off with leetcode and system design prep, post-promotion, for newgrad/entry level roles at companies with modern stacks

What I am asking:

When does being comfortable/slow and steady stop paying off vs. "you're falling behind on tools and need to leave for a more modern environment"?

Specifically:

1. How much does a non-modern stack actually hurt at 2 YOE if I have strong ownership/scope to talk about? Or do hiring managers screen out for "doesn't have Spark/other tools experience" regardless?
2. For people who've been in a similar spot (stable role, outdated stack, comfortable comp), when did you know it was time to leave? Did you regret staying or regret leaving?

Thank you!

Early career software engineer looking for advice on how to prep myself as much as possible for the next stages of my career.

For context I’ve been at my current company doing full stack web dev (React/TypeScript/Go/MongoDB mostly) for a little over 1.5 years and actually got promoted last month to Software Engineer 2. My experience has been great thus far, however the two senior people (who also served as my managers) on my team have just left and as a result I expect there not to be as much mentorship/room for growth in my current role. This has left me feeling anxious with the feeling of needing to pick up more responsibility for the sake of my team who are all also around the same level of experience as me.

I also recently went through an interview process for another Software Engineer role at a different company after casually applying to a few jobs to test the waters, but didn’t get chosen over another candidate with more YoE than me.

With all this in mind I’m wondering how I can best prepare myself to succeed in my current role for the time being and eventually find a better one in the future. Some initial things I’ve done were to start reviewing leetcode again and as well as system design in my free time. I obviously don’t plan on quitting my current job without another offer at hand, and I’m very grateful that I have a job in the first place with all the uncertainty going on in this field. Ideally I would like to make myself a competitive candidate for future roles once I meet that 2-3 experience mark common on a lot of job descriptions.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Completed all interviews + AA round. Recruiter told me the team really wants to hire me, no technical issues at all. Hiring manager has already reached out to Finance for headcount approval and they gave a 2-week timeline.
Recruiter said it might slip beyond 2 weeks because “finance is like that sometimes.” Hiring manager is pushing because they don’t want to lose a strong candidate.
Has anyone been in a similar situation recently (2025–2026)? How long did finance approval actually take?

Hi,

I'm a student and I want to get some better internships next cycle. Would love some advice on resume content so that I can succeed in passing screens next semester!

https://preview.redd.it/80n6gla2ks1h1.png?width=932&format=png&auto=webp&s=809fb2a82396b87fccc770e82ea8bc94f0d74c02