Tech Jobs in Crisis: What These Layoffs Really Mean for the Future of Work

Synopsis: The global tech industry is facing one of its biggest shake-ups since the pandemic, raising urgent questions about careers, reskilling, and the role of AI in everyday work.

80,000 Jobs Gone: Why 2025 Turned Into Tech’s Harshest Year Yet

The year 2025 was expected to mark the beginning of a significant AI-powered future. Instead, it has turned into a very difficult time for people working in technology. More than 80,000 tech jobs have already been lost this year, and the number is still rising.

These cuts are not limited to small firms. Some of the biggest companies have made deep cuts. Reports read that Microsoft, Intel, and Meta are among the leaders of this layoff wave. TCS is removing over 12,000 roles, calling it a case of “skill mismatches.” Meta, Google, and Amazon together cut about 20,000 to 25,000 roles.

Other companies have also been affected. Klaviyo reduced its staff by 20 percent in July and August. Red Hat laid off nearly 800 employees. Qorvo, a semiconductor firm, cut 250 positions. Salesforce, Cisco, and Oracle have also announced layoffs, though exact numbers are unclear. Startups and smaller firms have contributed another 5,000 to 8,000 job losses.

The main driver of these layoffs is the rise of artificial intelligence. While the economy and corporate restructuring play a role, experts agree that automation is at the center of the disruption. Many routine and mid-level jobs are being automated, leaving thousands of people without work.

The numbers are especially severe in the United States, where total job cuts across industries have already passed 7,40,000 this year. That is the highest level since the pandemic. Tech companies have contributed a large part of that total. India, another major hub for technology, is also feeling the impact. Mid-career professionals are facing the greatest risk.

The way these layoffs have been handled has also added to the pain. Reports suggest that more than half of employees were informed through email or phone calls, often with only a few weeks to transition.

Experts believe this shift will increase the demand for new skills. Jobs in AI engineering, data science, cybersecurity, and DevOps are expected to grow, even as traditional software roles shrink.

However, analysts warn that this is not over yet. The total number of global layoffs in 2025 may cross 100,000 before the year ends. While companies speak about efficiency and cost savings, the human cost of the AI revolution is becoming very clear.

For workers, the message is simple but harsh: reskill quickly, or risk being left behind.

Read More: Why is TCS Letting Go of 12,000 Employees? The Unspoken Side

Content Writing: The Passion That Destroys Your Life

I don’t know how to put this nicely, but I will say it straight: content writing has ruined my life.

I thought passion was everything. I thought if I loved writing enough, somehow the world would reward me. In childhood, the writing bug bit me and never left. I wrote, wrote, and wrote, pages, notebooks, blogs, whatever I could. People said, “You are talented.” And I believed them.

But now, looking back, it feels like passion fooled me.

Here is the thing nobody tells you. Writing is not just writing. It is hours of digging, reading, fact-checking, and scrolling through a thousand articles, only to feel more confused than when you started. Research is supposed to make your content valuable, but honestly, half the time it drains you before you even start typing. Sometimes I wonder, was all that time worth it?

Another truth is that as a writer, you are always proving yourself. Every single day. To clients, to readers, even to yourself. No degree magically makes you credible. It is just endless practice, endless drafts, endless rejection. And the solitude. God, the solitude. Sitting alone, filling blank pages, waiting for some validation that rarely comes.

You know that high when your article actually gets published. It is rare. Most of the time, you write something you care about, and it just floats in the void. Or it ends up buried under millions of other posts nobody ever reads. Sometimes you wonder if you should have just kept a diary instead. At least then, you are not pretending somebody will care.

Here is the harshest truth. While your friends in corporate jobs are getting salary hikes, bonuses, health benefits, and a sense of security, you, the so-called passionate writer, are hustling for a small gig that barely pays your internet bill. Clients will say, “We will pay you when you deliver quality.” But to them, quality often means cheap, fast, endless content. They do not see the hours. They do not care about the effort. And now, with ChatGPT and artificial intelligence everywhere, let us be honest, content writers are disposable. We have become unnecessary.

Writing needs discipline, like martial arts. Daily practice. Daily effort. But what is the point of discipline when the world does not value the result? Some days you sit at the desk, stare at the screen, and think, “Why am I even doing this?” It feels like a prison you walked into voluntarily.

Writing takes everything. Your focus, your time, your mental space. You finish one piece and instead of feeling proud, you just feel empty. Drained. You do not even have energy left for life outside writing. It does not just use your brain. It eats your soul, slowly.

I have asked myself this so many times. Why do we stay stuck in content writing, knowing it is killing us? Maybe because it feels like the only thing we are good at. Maybe because writing still gives us glimpses of clarity about ourselves and about the world. But is that enough? I do not think so anymore.

If you are young and chasing writing just because of passion, stop. Leave early. Do not make the mistake I made. Writing will give you words, yes, but it will not give you stability. It will not give you the life you deserve. Work in an organization, build a career where you are valued, where your efforts turn into something tangible, salary, respect, and growth. Passion can be your hobby. So please, do not let passion turn into a weight that pulls you down.

In the end, if it gives you nothing back, then it is not passion anymore; it is slow destruction.

Read More: The Job That Quietly Takes Your Health Before You Notice

‘Why Should We Hire You’: Here’s How Bill Gates Would Tackle the Interview Question

Why Should We Hire You? Bill Gates Answers 

Highlights: You probably would never picture Bill Gates sitting across from a hiring manager, trying to explain why he should get the job. The idea almost feels silly. But in a conversation with Stephen Curry a few years ago, he imagined that situation and answered the very questions most people dread. Hearing him do it makes you stop and think, because the way he approached it is not what you would expect, and there is something in it that anyone preparing for an interview can learn from.

Crack Interviews with Confidence: Follow Bill Gates

Bill Gates does not NEED to do job interviews.  But in this old YouTube chat with Steph Curry back in 2020, he sort of pretended to be a young engineer again. Kind of funny seeing him play along. He got hit with the usual dreaded questions: “Why should we hire you?” and “What are your salary expectations?” And his answers were not boring or robotic. They sounded like stuff you would want to keep in your back pocket if you are freaking out about your interview.

By showing how to tackle the questions that all candidates dread, the world's second-richest man quickly connected with graduates facing tough job interviews in an uncertain market.

The question: Why should we hire you?

“You should look at the code I have written. I write software programs that are much more than any class I have ever taken. I think I have gotten better over time, so look at how much I have put in there with ambition,” he said.

But he did not limit himself to technical skills. He added, “I think I can work well with people. I can be a little bit harsh on their code, but overall, I like being on a team. I like ambitious goals. I like to think about how to foresee the future. Software is fun, and I like to be a part of it.”

His answer reminds us that recruiters are looking for more than talent -- they want team players who can adapt, think ahead, and be passionate about their work.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Honesty

At one point, they asked about weaknesses, and Gates just straight up said he is not great at sales or marketing. Did not try to sugarcoat it. He was like, nah, I would rather focus on building the product, figuring out what it should be. And honestly… that kind of bluntness? Weirdly refreshing. It is like he knew exactly what lane he belongs in, and he was not afraid to admit what he can’t do.

Salary Expectation Strategy

Salary negotiations can be nerve-wracking, but Gates handled them with ease.

"I expect the option package to be good. I can take risks, and I think the company has a great future, so I prefer to have stock options over cash compensation. I have heard that some other companies pay a lot of money, but they treat me fairly and value the options," he said.

That answer revealed two key aspects: confidence in the company's future and his ability to negotiate effectively. By focusing on stock options, he portrayed himself as someone willing to grow with the business.

Takeaway for job seekers

Curry summed it up best!  Bill Gates' mock interview answers show that you can present yourself as confident, passionate, and eager to learn.

The thing is, jobs are not just about having the right technical skills anymore. People hiring you wanna know if you can work with others, if you are honest about your flaws, and if you can talk money without crumbling. It is not just code or design or whatever: Passion Matters, Attitude Matters. You have to show that you are someone who will grow with the team, rather than just staying in your corner.

Want 3 Years of Research Freedom? Here’s What the Klarman Fellowship at Cornell Offers

In Short: The Klarman Fellowship at Cornell University provides postdoctoral scholars with the rare opportunity to pursue research without the pressures of teaching or grant requirements. Apply by Oct 15, 2025.

This fellowship program at Cornell University offers postdoctoral opportunities to early-career scholars of exceptional talent and promise. It is one of those opportunities that sounds almost too good to be true if you are just starting out as a researcher. They are essentially saying, 'Come here and bring your best ideas.' No heavy teaching duties, no endless grant hoops. Just freedom to do your work and push it in directions that might not fit into neat boxes.

It is run through the College of Arts and Sciences, which is huge. Natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, arts, stuff that mixes all of those together. They don’t really care if your work sits on the edge of disciplines. 

Location? Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Small town vibe, big winters.

Who gets to apply? You need a PhD, but not an old one. For the 2026 group, you must have finished after May 1, 2024. Too much experience past that, and you’re out. If you have already earned your PhD at Cornell or worked there for more than six months, also out. But an undergrad or master’s at Cornell is fine. So it is a little picky, but that is the deal. And you can’t apply without a Cornell Arts and Sciences faculty member agreeing to be your host.

As a Klarman Fellow, you basically design your own research project and see it through over three years. You don’t have to teach unless you want to. You’re not tied to producing results just to satisfy a grant. The only condition is that you actually live in Ithaca. You can travel for research, sure, but you are expected to be based there.

How to apply? The portal opens August 15, 2025. You’ll need your CV, a two-page research proposal, three letters of recommendation, and a sponsorship form signed by your Cornell host. They also make you do a quick self-review in the system before you can submit. The final deadline is October 15, 2025, at 12:00 hrs EDT.

If you need to seek more details, email [KlarmanFellows@cornell.edu](mailto: KlarmanFellows@cornell.edu).

To be honest, it is rare to find a fellowship that hands you this much independence. If you have got the spark and the right timing, this could be one of those career-shaping moves.

The Job That Quietly Takes Your Health Before You Notice

Content writing offers creativity and freedom, but behind the screen lies a hidden cost: long hours that erode health, unstable income that weakens security, and a future that passion alone cannot protect.

I remember the first time I realised I loved writing. I cannot point to a single moment. It just happened. Words felt like a place to hide and a way to make sense of things at the same time. I sat at a desk and thoughts came out as sentences. I kept doing that. Night after night. Early mornings. Always a new idea buzzing in the head.

At first, it felt like freedom. Flexible hours. Creative control. The kind of work that looks glamorous from the street. People say it is a dream job. I believed them. I believed that passion would carry me. That belief lasted a long time.

Then the years started stacking up. Clients changed. Deadlines did not. I kept producing. Always producing. But somewhere along the line, I began to notice small, quiet gaps. Little things that did not add up. Pay that did not grow. The same tiny raises. Gratitude that sounded warm but never turned into security. I began to feel like a spare part in someone else's machine. Useful for a while. Not essential. Replaceable.

In my twenties, passion felt like a currency. It bought me late nights and extra hustle. In my thirties, it still felt like enough. By my forties, the aches arrived. The questions followed close behind. I began to ask what my years had actually bought me. Real answers were thin.

There is a financial side to this. Content writing, for many, does not promise long-term stability. It can support you for a season. It can pay today's bills. But a livelihood is supposed to do more than that. It is supposed to feed tomorrow as well. It is supposed to protect health and build a future. For many writers, that does not happen. The work pays, sometimes. It rarely protects.

And then there is the part that surprised me most. The slow, almost invisible wear on the body. Sitting for ten, twelve, sometimes thirteen hours. Skipping walks. Missing sunlight. Thinking a little more, moving a little less. At first, it is just stiffness. Then it becomes a wrong posture, shoulders that slope, a spine that complains when you wake.

I read about a study at Vanderbilt University's Memory and Alzheimer's Center. The headline hit me because it sounded like my daily life measured in numbers. The research suggested that long hours of sitting can reduce brain volume. It can affect memory. It can slow processing and decision-making. Even if you exercise, the damage can keep building if you sit for long stretches. If you have a particular gene, APOE-E4, the risk goes up. Reading that felt cold. It felt like a map of the habits I had been living for years.

The mechanics are simple in a frightening way. Less movement, less blood flow, less oxygen, and fewer nutrients reaching parts of the brain and body that need them. Over time, that adds up. Heart problems. Metabolic issues such as diabetes. Decline in muscle strength. Circulation is not what it once was. Mental fog that creeps in and does not leave quickly.

I can picture the slow changes now. Hands that look thinner at the knuckles. Shoulders that have rounded forward from leaning into the keyboard. A back that remembers every late night. The mind that used to open easily now feels like a drawer that sticks and needs a firm tug.

And yet the job keeps asking for more of the same. More time. More ideas. More output. All while the industry changes under your feet. Artificial intelligence arrived as another quiet pressure. Machines that generate text faster and at a lower cost. Clients who once thanked you now see you as optional. Replaceable. I watched pieces of work disappear into the endless churn of online content, where nothing holds attention for long. No long-term credit. No pension for the hours you gave. No safety net.

So I started to think differently. Not in a dramatic, overnight way. Small shifts at first. What if I treated writing as a lane I enjoy rather than the only road I walk? What if I planned for income streams that do not vanish with an algorithm update? What if I protected my body the way I protected my deadlines?

I wish I had done that earlier. I wish I had balanced passion with something that would feed both my wallet and my body over decades. Passion kept me creative. Passion kept me awake at night because I loved the work. Passion did not, however, pay for the health I lost. It did not promise a retirement or a steady rise in income. It did not guarantee that my best years would be safe.

This is not a warning to stop loving what you do. It is a caution to think about the whole of life before you pour your best years into one thing. Passion matters. It makes life bright. It drives ideas. But passion alone is not a plan. If you give your youth and your health to work that will not protect you later, you may find yourself holding only memories when stability is what you need.

Ask yourself early, honestly: Will this work feed my future, or will it only feed my present? If the answer is the latter, then think about a parallel plan. Build skills that have lasting value. Save in ways that will matter. Move your body more than your cursor. Keep some of what you love for yourself, so that it does not have to carry the whole of your life.

A short, blunt line that keeps coming back to me is this: do not trade the strength of your youth for a chair that will not hold you in your old age.

Which is the Most Powerful Passport in 2025, and Where Does India Fall on the List?

Most Powerful Passport in the World 2025 – India’s Global Rank

If you line up every passport in the world and ask, “Which one gets you through the most borders without trouble?” the answer this year is simple. The United Arab Emirates.

The new Passport Index report for 2025 puts the UAE right at the very top. That means if you have one of their passports, you can enter 132 countries without even needing a visa. On top of that, another 47 will hand you a visa when you arrive. So, in total, that is 179 destinations with little or no advance paperwork. Only 19 places still ask UAE citizens to sort out a visa beforehand.

Spain comes next. Close behind, but not quite the same reach. Spanish passport holders have a mobility score of 176. That breaks down to 131 visa-free destinations and 45 visa-on-arrival ones. Just 20 countries still require you to arrange a visa first.

After that, the third spot is actually shared by quite a few countries. Singapore, France, Germany, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Portugal, Switzerland, Greece, Austria, Norway, and Ireland. All of them score 175 on mobility. That is 129 countries you can walk into without a visa, 46 that give you one when you arrive, and 23 that still require it ahead of time.

India’s Position

India is far lower in the rankings. Position number 72, the same as Gambia, Ghana, and Uganda. The mobility score here is 74. That means 30 countries allow Indians in without a visa, 44 will issue one at the border, and for 124 countries, you still have to get it in advance.

It is not among the weakest passports, but clearly not close to the top tier either.

At the Bottom of the List

Afghanistan has the weakest passport according to this index. The mobility score is 38. Only 6 countries allow Afghan citizens without a visa, while 32 offer visas on arrival. That leaves 160 places that require a visa in advance.

Others near the bottom include Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, Iraq, and Syria, all ranked between 97 and 100.

How These Numbers Come Together

The Global Passport Index measures 199 places, which include every UN member and a few territories. The ranking is based on how easily people can travel using their passport.

The *mobility score* is the main number. It counts how many countries you can enter without a visa, how many will give you a visa on arrival, and how many accept quick e-visas or electronic travel authorizations.

If two countries have the same mobility score, the tie is broken by looking at the United Nations Human Development Index.

Here is a quick example. Suppose your passport lets you into 32 countries visa-free, 12 countries with a visa on arrival, 2 with an electronic travel authorization, and 9 with an e-visa. Add them together ( 32 + 12 + 2 + 9), which gives you a mobility score of 55.

Inside IOM Recruitment: Your Path to Global Migration Careers

Stop scrolling through endless job posts. Challenge your career, work anywhere in the world, and be part of something that changes lives. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has several roles coming up this year, and they are not all of the same type. Some are in the field, some are in offices, and some are focused on policy. It is the kind of place where the work you do can affect real lives. If you are curious about what they need right now and how to actually get in, it is worth taking a closer look.

How to Land a Career with the IOM for Migration in 2025:

The International Organization for Migration. It is an intergovernmental organisation that works with governments and with migrants. It operates in more than one hundred countries. Its core aim is simple to state and not always simple to do: promote humane and orderly migration for the benefit of everyone involved. Diversity and inclusion matter there. That is why they keep a steady stream of job and internship postings.

What kind of positions do they post? Lots. Project management. Administration. Finance. Logistics. Communications. Entry-level roles for recent graduates. Senior positions for people with years of experience. Field roles in crisis-affected regions. Headquarters roles focused on policy, research, and coordination. You can think of it as a spread across location, department, and level of seniority. Some posts will be short-term. Some will be long-term. Some will need specific language skills. Some will ask for very specialised technical experience.

Where to look. The simplest route is the IOM career gateway. See the web address:

www.iom.int/iom-career-gateways 

http://www.iom.int/iom-career-gateways 

That is the page that lists current openings. Each posting includes the role description, required qualifications, and the deadline. If you are the sort of person who likes to filter things, you can usually filter by country, by job family, and by grade level. If you prefer HQ work, search for policy or research keywords. If you prefer being on the ground, look for field operations or emergency response.

See the practical bit, step by step, as under: 

Step one: create a personal account. Go to the IOM e-Recruitment Facility, register for an account, and fill in the basic profile. Education, work history, and skills. 

Step two: search for openings that match your skills and interests. Read the job description fully. Do not skip the required qualifications and the language requirements. Make a note of the application deadline.

Step three: submit your application online. Follow the instructions in the posting exactly. Attach the documents requested. Tailor your resume and cover letter to the specific role. 

Step four: monitor your application. The portal will show status updates, and you will receive emails when there are changes. Keep an eye on your inbox and on spam folders. If you are shortlisted, expect an email or a portal notification.

Step five: understand the selection process. Recruitment timelines vary by post. Criteria often include academic credentials, relevant experience, and language skills. Some roles require competency-based examples.

Step six: prepare for interviews. If you are shortlisted, familiarise yourself with the IOM Competency Framework. Review the interview tip sheet if one is provided. Prepare short stories from your work history that demonstrate the competencies they are testing. Practice explaining not only what you did but how you did it, and what the results were.

A quick note on pay and benefits. IOM follows the United Nations salary scale for many positions and offers a package that often includes insurance and, in some cases, opportunities for international travel. Exact terms depend on contract type and duty station.

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