Tech company layoffs have felt especially looming in the past four months. But headlines such as these are just part of the picture. When you zoom out, you’ll find that December marked the 25th consecutive month in which the U.S. tech industry added employees, according to CompTIA. Layoffs.fyi data shows layoffs peaked in January and the number of companies conducting layoffs — and the number of affected employees — have dropped significantly since.
And there are roughly 100,000 more unfilled tech jobs than laid off workers, which bodes well for tech talent on the job hunt. A November ZipRecruiter survey found 80 percent of laid off tech workers are hired within three months of starting their search.
Some of them are finding jobs in Austin.
Austin saw Big Tech layoffs, but not nearly as many as other hubs like Silicon Valley and New York City. The city is a burgeoning hotbed for startups, which are taking advantage of a large hiring pool swimming with tech talent from companies like Google, Meta and Amazon, according to a recent Geekwire article.
And as hiring rebounds, Austin will continue its meteoric rise. Texas’ capital topped CompTIA’s list for five-year projected tech industry job growth with a predicted 22,000 new tech jobs by 2027.
Moov Technologies, Overhaul and Unit 410 are three of those startups searching for tech talent. We sat down with employees from each company who reflected on how they’ve grown since joining.
What they do: Moov Technologies matches buyers and sellers of pre-owned semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Its technology-driven marketplace and asset management platform ensures efficient transactions and that listings are accurate.
Teamwork makes the dream work: When Lee first joined Moov, he was part of a team of six people, and they worked in a small WeWork in downtown San Francisco. The close-knit team had a strong sense of camaraderie and teamwork, and since Moov didn’t have distinct departments yet, they all wore different hats as they worked toward a shared goal. “The flat organizational structure promoted open communication and collaboration, which allowed for a more flexible and agile approach to problem solving,” Lee said. “Even as the team has grown over the years, we still maintain that strong sense of camaraderie and teamwork, which makes daily work life more productive and enjoyable.”
Invaluable opportunities to grow: Before Lee joined Moov, he had no professional programming experience — he was a self-taught coder. Moov’s CEO and the rest of the team took a chance on him, and invited him to join as an engineering intern three years ago. During that time, Lee has taken on challenging projects that have helped him expand his technical skills and understanding of web and software development. “I’ve learned I have a knack for creating user interfaces that feel crisp and functional and are enjoyable to use, which can really boost user retention and overall business performance,” Lee said. “My time at Moov has been incredibly valuable for my professional growth and development.”
What they do: A supply chain integrity solutions company, Overhaul helps shippers to connect disparate sources of data in a single view. That unified data creates insights that can trigger corrective actions, which impact shipping logistics like temperature control, handling requirements or package-level tracking.
Promotion abounds: At Overhaul, employees are ready and willing to roll up their sleeves and raise their hands to help one another. They also enthusiastically promote the company and share Overhaul’s achievements with their networks. “The entire team is truly open and approachable, which is great when you’re new and when most of the team is spread across multiple countries,” Ryan said.
Upskilling every day: Ryan joined the Overhaul team in November 2021, and she focuses on communicating clearly and concisely, especially when working with cross-functional teams. But she’s had the chance to develop other skills, too. “The daily variety and evolving nature of my role has allowed me to hone my project planning, documentation management and contract management skills,” Ryan said. And with Overhaul’s recent acquisition of SensiGuard Security Services, Ryan looks forward to integrating, collaborating and upskilling alongside new team members over the coming months.
What they do: Unit 410 empowers crypto holders to use their digital assets in secure and novel ways. The team of engineers provides infrastructure, software, tech consulting and administrative services to encourage their clients to participate in blockchains.
Time for R+R: When Maclean joined Unit 410, he was surprised to learn the company is an engineering-first organization. The small team means employees wear multiple hats, but Unit 410’s people embody a hardworking spirit that makes for a strong working and learning environment, according to Maclean. “We deliberately take time to recharge and take care of ourselves first,” Maclean said. “That’s key to tackling challenging problems over long periods of time. We believe in our mission and are in it for the long haul.”
Learning on the job: Though he’s been with Unit 410 for just nine months, Maclean is proud of how much he’s grown as a person and engineer during that time. In his role prior to Unit 410, Maclean focused on backend services, but now, he owns the full stack of his projects like everyone else on the team. “I’ve learned how to manage infrastructure as code using Terraform and work in a variety of programming languages,” Maclean said. “Learning the development stack is always a work in progress, but it’s great to be surrounded by other engineers on the same journey.” He also enjoys working in the crypto industry because he frequently uses new technologies that one day could be a regular part of a developer’s tool kit.
