Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with computer science students at my university. I’ve been invited back as a guest speaker for the same course each year, and it’s always something I truly joy and look forward to.
But this year felt different.
The conversation took place over Zoom. I walked them through my journey, from my first internship to my first full-time role, to where I am today. And just like every year, it ended with an open Q&A session.
Over the years, the questions tend to be the same. Students usually want to know how to land internships, what technical skills matter most, or how to break into big tech.
But this time was different, there wasn’t many questions. At first.
As the session was wrapping up and I was about to log off, that’s when it changed.
One by one, students began asking the harder questions. The ones they had likely been thinking about the entire time:
“How do you deal with layoffs?”
“How has AI changed your everyday job?”
And honestly, it stopped me for a moment.
Because when I was sitting where they are now, I wasn’t worried about layoffs.
I was worried about passing Matrix Algebra (literally!).
The Fear Has Changed
Today’s students aren’t just thinking about how to succeed. They’re wondering whether the career they’re working toward will even feel secure.
They’re watching headlines about mass layoffs, hearing constant conversations about AI replacing jobs.
They’re entering an industry that feels uncertain before they’ve even started their first full-time role or internship.
I realized this generation of engineers isn’t naive about the future and they have to prepare for uncertainty from day one.
How Do You Deal With Layoffs?
I answered them honestly.
Layoffs are one of the hardest realities, not necessarily because they happen to everyone, but because you realize they can happen to anyone.
Layoffs are rarely about individual talent. They’re about shifting priorities, market conditions, company strategy, decisions made far beyond your day-to-day work. But here’s the lesson many engineers eventually learn:
You cannot build your identity around a company name.
Not the title. Not the compensation. Not the prestige. Because those things can change overnight.
What stays with you is different:
- Your ability to learn quickly
- Your problem-solving skills
- The relationships you build
- Your reputation as someone people trust and want to work with
A role may change. Your capability does not.
The engineers who handle uncertainty best aren’t the ones who avoid change, they’re the ones confident in their ability to start again if they have to. With that being said, one piece of advice I shared with them is to stay curious and stay current.
Technology moves fast and right now, it’s moving faster than ever. Especially with AI.
Something that wasn’t part of our day-to-day work just a few months ago can suddenly become a priority overnight. Tools evolve, expectations shift, and new ways of working rise almost instantly. What felt optional in December can feel essential by February (true story).
That’s simply the reality of this industry.
Some of the strongest engineers I work with share one common trait: they never stop learning.
They take time outside of their immediate responsibilities to stay informed. They read articles, experiment with new tools, share resources with teammates, and stay curious about how emerging technologies can be applied in real scenarios.
I have coworkers who regularly share research papers, AI updates, or new workflows they’ve discovered and not because anyone asked them to, but because they genuinely want to understand what’s coming next. Those are often the engineers who adapt the fastest.
Because the truth is, this learning curve isn’t unique to students. We’re all learning in real time.
In many ways, working in tech today feels like being back in school, except now, no one assigns the curriculum. You have to take initiative to keep learning on your own.
And while this mindset applies strongly to AI, it also applies to job stability. When students ask about layoffs, my advice is similar: stay prepared, even when things feel stable.
Keep your resume updated. Refresh your interviewing skills occasionally. Maintain relationships with recruiters and your network.
Not because you expect something to go wrong but because adaptability comes from readiness and being complacent is risky.
The goal isn’t to live in fear of change, but to stay prepared enough that change doesn’t define your future.
Has AI Changed My Job?
YES, absolutely. But probably not in the way people expect.
We’re still expected to do our jobs. Engineering hasn’t disappeared. The problems haven’t become easier. What has changed is the expectation around productivity. AI isn’t replacing engineers, it’s raising the bar for what productivity looks like. You’re now expected to accomplish more in less time.
Tasks that once took hours can sometimes be accelerated through AI tools. You can delegate parts of the work and because those accelerators exist, the baseline expectation shifts.
It’s not replacing engineers, it’s replacing average effort.
During a recent conversation at work, one comment really stuck with me. The shift we’re seeing isn’t just technological, it’s changing how we approach engineering entirely.
In the past, strong engineers were valued primarily for knowing how to build things. Now, AI is forcing us to focus on knowing what to build.
AI can help generate solutions but it still takes human judgment to define the problem, understand tradeoffs, prioritize impact, and make decisions in ambiguous situations.
That part hasn’t gone away, if anything, it’s become more important.
The value of an engineer today is moving beyond execution alone.
It’s critical thinking. Context. Ownership. Decision-making.
AI can help generate solutions, but it still doesn’t understand team dynamics, organizational context, or what’s actually at stake when something breaks. And it definitely can’t take ownership when things go wrong.
The engineers who will thrive aren’t the ones competing against AI. They’re the ones learning how to use it intentionally, as a tool that amplifies their thinking, not replaces it.
AI is ultimately a tool and throughout the history of work, new tools have always reshaped how we operate. This isn’t unique to engineering. It applies across corporate roles, industries, and professions.
It’s like trying to build something without a hammer. You can do it, but it takes longer and limits what you’re able to produce. Once the hammer exists, expectations change not because your skill disappeared, but because you now have a better way to build.
AI feels very similar. It doesn’t remove the need for skilled professionals. It expands what people are capable of accomplishing.
Whether you’re an engineer, a product manager, a designer, a marketer, or working in any corporate environment, the reality is the same: productivity expectations are evolving.
The people who will move forward fastest are the ones willing to learn how to use these tools, experimenting, adapting workflows, and understanding where AI actually adds value in their work. Because this shift isn’t about replacing people. It’s about redefining how work gets done.
We’re not competing against AI. We’re learning how to leverage it and the professionals who embrace that reality will naturally move ahead of those who resist it.
The Skill No One Teaches
After the call ended and the Zoom window closed, I kept thinking about those questions.
If I could add one required course to every computer science program, it wouldn’t be another programming language.
It would be: How to build resilience in an unpredictable industry.
Technology will continue to evolve.
Tools will change.
Entire roles will transform.
Your advantage won’t come from knowing everything. It will come from knowing how to adapt when things inevitably change.
The Reality of Building a Career Today
Careers aren’t linear.
Stability isn’t guaranteed.
And uncertainty doesn’t mean failure.
The goal isn’t to find a job that never changes, it is to become someone who can grow through change.
✨ To the students who asked those questions, thank you.
You reminded me that success in this field isn’t built on certainty.
It’s built on adaptability.
XOXO,
Paola
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