Feeling Stuck in IT: How Can I Overcome Career Gaps and Secure a Developer Role?

I completed my BSc with Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science in 2020. Initially, I stayed in my hometown to manage our family business. Later, I moved to Bangalore, where I pursued a Java course and secured a job as a TechOps Engineer in October 2022. I underwent a 6-month internship followed by 6 months of employment, but unfortunately, I was laid off in October 2023. Since then, I have been actively searching for opportunities as a backend developer but haven't received any interview calls. However, I did manage to secure a job as a Software Engineer in Hyderabad in February 2024, but due to harassment issues, I had to resign after just 2 months. Now, I find myself unemployed.

Am I eligible to work in the IT industry?

My resume shows a mid-career gap, but I do have skills in development. However, I face challenges such as role changes after graduation and the gap in my BSc studies. If so, please advise me on how to pursue opportunities?

Dear member,

The eligibility does not depend on external factors but on the individual. Yes, there is a lot of churn in the IT industry, and traditional jobs are being eliminated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Even those who have completed 10 or more years are also being laid off and are finding it difficult to get a job. This is because earlier, it was easy to get a job that matched one's skill set. But today, one has to match the skill set depending on the requirements of the job market.

At this stage, you have two options. The first option is to wait until you get a job that matches your skill set. The risk of this option is that your CV will show a gap between your last job and the future job. When you will get employment in the future is uncertain. The second option is to take a course in AI, ML, Business Analytics, etc. In this option, you need to spend money to do the course and also wait to get the job. However, you may choose an IT training institute that supports placement.

By the way, your post says you had a job but you quit it because of "harassment issues." Please note that the working hours in the IT industry have increased in the last 2-3 years. As far as the job market is concerned, it has always been the employer's market, except for the IT sector. It was this sector where the employees dictated their terms for the last 25 years. In every market, a correction happens, and now the turn of the IT sector has come for correction. Therefore, be prepared to reconcile with the terms dictated by the employer.

By the way, immediately upon completing your graduation in 2020, I wish you had taken up employment. At that time, the AI disruption in the job market had yet to happen. But as you missed the bus, the wise thing to do is to adapt to the changed market conditions.

I wish you all the best!

Dinesh Divekar