The economy of 2023 is predicted to be a challenging one. Every time you open LinkedIn, you are bombarded with tens of thousands of people losing their jobs. New AI models are being introduced every day which can save companies millions of dollars and reduce the workforce by vast numbers. With uncertainty and volatility being the new norm, let's see how to thrive in such challenging times!

Make sure your skills justify your position 🛠️👨‍💻

It's astounding how many people think that learning just basic HTML, CSS & JS should be enough to land you a high-paying job, failing to notice that they CANNOT build any application of real-world significance.

If you take a step back and analyze the situation from the employer's perspective, you will realize that makes no sense.

You are hired to solve problems, so unless you can actually deliver feasible solutions, why would companies even recruit you?

I get it, software development is a constantly evolving field, with new changes being introduced every day, but if you have a solid foundation & master just one domain, you are golden.

Be undisposable 🚫🗑️

It might sound weird to most people, but there exist web developers charging $125+ per hour, which roughly translates to $250k per year. They get so much work that they have to turn down more than 90% of the clients they receive.

These people were NOT born special but developed a strong skill set, work ethic & a pleasant personality. Luckily for you, all of these are acquired skills.

Even though most people believe jobs are scarce, the truth is good developers are hard to come by. So once you become one, you will find abundant opportunities coming your way, the majority of which you will have to turn down because there you are after all limited by the number of hours in a day!

Fighting our AI competitors 👊🤖

Ah! The good old doomsday prediction!

If you take a look back at history, you will find millions of such predictions which never came true.

When such disruptive technologies come to town, there is a massive change in the type of work but doesn't spell extinction for the labor force. Eg: the carriage riders of the 19th century turned into factory laborers once the first car was launched, the people who used to track accounts on pen & paper now manage them on computers (which was supposed to take away their jobs), etc.

If you think about it deeply, you still need people to fine-tune the code/suggestions made by the AI tools & services, and of course, you need people to develop the AI themselves.

The tools work on the specific tasks they are made for, one fine day Dall E will NOT decide it got tired of generating images & decide to go rally for AI rights (at least we are not there yet 😝). So treat them just like they were intended: as tools to streamline work.

Conclusion ✍️📝

Even though the 2023 economy might look uncertain, as long as you keep improving & delivering top-notch results to the marketplace, nobody can stop you. Even if you lose your job, the high demand for your skills will ensure that you never pull your hair out while paying your bills.

AI is an incredible tool to streamline work, stop worrying about it replacing you anytime soon, but make sure you prepare to display your proficiency in using them as more and more AI-based tools become mainstream & companies start actively looking for people who have experience working with them.

Lastly, I leave you one of my favorite quotes:

Tough times don't last, tough people do

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FAQ

These are a few commonly asked questions I get. So, I hope this FAQ section solves your issues.

1. I am a beginner, how should I learn Front-End Web Dev?
   Look into the following articles:

   1. Front End Development Roadmap
   2. Front End Project Ideas

2. Would you mentor me?
   
   Sorry, I am already under a lot of workload and would not have the time to mentor anyone.