My cousin called me last spring totally stressed out. He just got laid off from a marketing analytics job and figured he’d “switch into tech” because everyone keeps saying that’s the move. His plan was basically get some random certificate and start applying everywhere.

Three months and like 200 applications later he had two interviews and zero offers.

That’s when he called me. I’ve spent the last six years going back and forth between recruiting hiring and actually doing IT support and some dev work myself so I’ve seen this from both sides. And honestly his problem wasn’t effort at all. He was just chasing the wrong skills for the wrong reasons.

So let’s talk about what’s actually happening in the tech job market right now based on real hiring conversations not some outdated blog post from 2019. If you want actual numbers check the BLS page on computer and IT jobs, it’s a good reality check on pay and demand.

The Job Market Isn’t Dead It’s Just Weird

Let’s get this out of the way. Yeah big tech layoffs made headlines for two years straight, Layoffs.fyi tracked a lot of it. And yeah some entry level software jobs got tougher because companies started using AI tools for junior work.

But here’s what nobody talks about. Mid size companies healthcare IT departments logistics companies and government contractors are still hiring like normal. They just don’t show up on TechCrunch when they do.

I helped a friend get hired at a regional hospital IT department last year. No crazy interview process no coding puzzles. Just a practical test on troubleshooting network stuff and a conversation about handling annoyed users. He started at $68k with benefits that honestly beat most startups.

Point is tech jobs aren’t just Google Meta and Netflix. It’s insurance companies hospitals schools factories and city governments too, they all need people who understand computers and networks and data.

What Employers Actually Want (Not What Bootcamp Ads Tell You)

I’ve sat in hiring meetings reviewing resumes as a team. Here’s the pattern I kept noticing.

1. Cloud Skills But Not How You’d Think

Everyone says learn AWS or Azure. True but here’s the thing. Employers don’t want someone who watched a 10 hour YouTube video and memorized service names.

They want someone who can explain in plain words why you’d use an S3 bucket instead of a database or how you’d fix a server that just stopped responding.

What worked for my cousin, he made a free AWS account broke stuff on purpose then fixed it. Wrote it all down in a simple Notion page. When an interviewer asked about cloud experience he actually had real stories instead of textbook answers. If AWS feels like too much Azure’s free tier works just as well, Google Cloud has a free option too.

2. Basic Cybersecurity Even If That’s Not Your Job

This one surprised me honestly. Even for a regular IT support role hiring managers ask basic security questions now like

• how do you spot a phishing email
• what do you do if a laptop gets stolen
• do you actually know what MFA protects against

You don’t need a CompTIA Security+ cert to answer these good though it helps. You just need to have actually thought about it instead of memorizing definitions. CISA’s cybersecurity resources are actually useful and not full of sales pitches.

3. Data Skills That Go Beyond “I Know Excel”

Excel is still everywhere don’t get me wrong. But what’s getting people hired is basic SQL and knowing how to clean up messy data.

A friend landed a data analyst job at a logistics company just by showing a small project. She grabbed data from data.gov cleaned it up in Python using pandas and made a couple charts showing patterns. Nothing crazy no machine learning. Just clean useful work. She practiced SQL first on Mode’s free tutorial before touching a real dataset.

That’s what people miss. You don’t need to build some AI model you just need to show you can take messy real data and make sense of it.

4. Knowing How to Use AI Tools Not Being an AI Expert

This is the newest shift and it’s a big one honestly. Companies aren’t hiring “AI engineers” for every single role but they do expect regular tech employees to know how to use stuff like ChatGPT Claude GitHub Copilot or Microsoft Copilot to just work faster.

I’ve watched interviewers straight up ask “have you used any AI coding tools, walk me through it.” They’re not testing if you can build AI they’re testing if you’ll be productive on day one.

5. Communication Skills Yes Really In Tech

This is the part nobody wants to hear. I’ve seen technically stronger people lose out to someone who was just better at explaining stuff clearly.

If you can walk into an interview and explain a technical problem the way you’d explain it to your non tech parent you’re already ahead of half the people applying.

Step by Step How to Build These Skills Without Wasting Money

Here’s what I’d tell my cousin if he was starting from zero today.

Step 1 pick one lane not five. Don’t try to learn cloud cybersecurity data and coding all at once. Pick whatever matches something you already kind of enjoy. Like puzzles and problem solving, go cybersecurity or IT support. Like numbers and patterns, go data.

Step 2 use free stuff first. Before spending money on bootcamps try

• freeCodeCamp for coding basics
• AWS free tier or Azure free account for cloud practice
• Google’s IT Support cert on Coursera it’s affordable and employers actually recognize it
• youtube channels like NetworkChuck or Techquickie for the basics explained simply

Step 3 build one small project you can actually talk about. Not ten half finished ones just one real project. Could be as simple as setting up a home network with a spare router and writing down how you secured it. GitHub is a decent free place to keep that stuff.

Step 4 practice explaining it out loud. Talk to your dog your partner whoever. If you can’t explain your own project simply you’ll freeze up in interviews.

Step 5 apply to mid size and government jobs too not just big tech. USAJobs.gov healthcare systems school districts and regional banks hire IT people all the time and the process is usually way less brutal. Indeed and Levels.fyi for salary comparisons are worth checking regularly too.

Mistakes People Make (I’ve Made Some Of These Too)

Mistake 1 collecting certificates like pokemon cards. I know someone with four certs and zero real projects. Employers noticed that imbalance fast.

Mistake 2 ignoring soft skills completely. I once interviewed a super technical candidate who couldn’t answer “tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker” without getting visibly annoyed. Didn’t get the offer.

Mistake 3 only applying to big name companies. Classic mistake. Everyone applies to Google and Amazon while ignoring the local hospital or insurance company desperately trying to fill an IT spot.

Mistake 4 not tailoring your resume at all. I’ve seen resumes that were clearly one generic version sent to everyone. Job posting says Azure your resume says “cloud computing” with nothing specific, you’re making the recruiter do extra work they won’t bother doing. Jobscan can help check how well your resume actually matches a listing.

What My Cousin Actually Did

After we talked he picked cybersecurity basics as his lane. Didn’t quit his job just spent about an hour every evening for two months. Got the CompTIA Security+ cert, built a small home lab with an old laptop and a free trial of Splunk, wrote about it on Hashnode.

Applied to a mix of companies big and small. Six weeks later he landed an IT security analyst job at a mid size financial company. Not glamorous not some six figure FAANG job but a real foot in the door with room to grow.

Final Thoughts

The tech job market in America right now rewards people who show real practical skill over people who just collect credentials. Employers aren’t expecting perfection they just want someone who thinks clearly solves actual problems and can explain stuff without making everyone’s eyes glaze over.

If you’re trying to break into this field or shift within it don’t try to be an expert in everything at once. Pick one thing get genuinely good at doing and explaining it and let that be your way in. The rest usually follows once you’re actually in the room.