According to Hacker News, the software job market is in rough shape. A developer reflecting on the industry's turn argues that while it's always been competitive, artificial intelligence has supercharged the worst aspects of hiring and employment. The piece touches a nerve: commenters confirm tight hiring, arbitrary interview filters, and the paradox of tools everyone feels pressured to adopt while watching colleagues get laid off. One commenter left a ten-year tech career for diesel mechanic work—trades pay better, stability beats hype, and he's happier. The broader tension: use AI and streamline, or stand on principle and risk getting left behind. The job market, one commenter notes, likely won't recover until the junior pipeline dries up and companies realize they actually need people again.

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