A job in the IT sector is no longer what it used to be
“Pick one technology and develop to the maximum in it” – that is advice I would no longer dare to give, Miloš Turinski from Infostud told RTS, explaining what employers value today in the IT sector. He also outlined which job positions are in demand and which are not, the impact of artificial intelligence on different IT professions, and why juniors have been the most affected.
The American tech giant Oracle recently laid off tens of thousands of employees at once, notifying them by email, continuing a long-standing practice among IT companies in the United States, whose business motives are often unclear. In Serbia, attention was drawn in March to a situation in which, according to estimates, around 500 people lost their jobs across several IT firms.
Artificial intelligence is often cited as the cause, but Turinski says the picture is not so simple.
According to him, during the golden age of the IT industry, hiring was abundant, but by the end of 2022, the global economic crisis had a major impact on the sector, which was also reflected in the operations of companies in Serbia.
“For a while, companies kept developers ‘on the bench’, as they put it, hoping the market would recover and that these people would have work and new projects. However, that did not happen. As a result, optimisation of operations and staffing became necessary, so that only the most essential personnel would remain within companies,” says Turinski.
Then came the growing influence of artificial intelligence, leading to efforts to optimise and automate repetitive processes and roles – something that has most affected junior positions.
Optimisation, not a crisis
Although the number of IT job postings has declined in recent years, Turinski emphasises that this cannot be described as a crisis, noting that IT remains among the top five industries with the highest number of job adverts.
“We need to understand that this is actually a normalisation of the industry, and that this is now a realistic state we can expect in the future. We cannot call this a crisis – as we would if something similar had happened in the broader labour market. This is optimisation, where employers have become much more selective about whom they hire, who they need, for which projects, and who is cost-effective,” he explains.
Different roles in IT – who is doing well and who is not
The situation varies depending on the profession in the IT sector itself. “There is still solid demand, for example, for software developers or cybersecurity specialists. These are roles that are genuinely lacking in our market, and when you add mid-level or senior experience, these are professionals who are in short supply and highly needed,” Turinski notes.
Turinski also commented on the influx of foreign workers into Serbia’s IT sector, primarily Russian professionals.
“We don’t have precise data, but what we do know is that this represents a kind of separate market within a market – an IT market within the broader IT market in Serbia. Many of those who arrived set up their own companies, which continued working with foreign clients and largely employed their own staff,” he explains.
According to him, this did contribute to the creation of new companies in the domestic market, but did not significantly affect the volume of job postings or the number of new vacancies.
However, there is a negative trend in repetitive roles such as QA testing and customer support, as these positions are easily automated and are already seeing significant impact from artificial intelligence.
“The burden has fallen on juniors”
When it comes to juniors – those just starting out – Turinski says the situation is much tougher, with the burden falling largely on their shoulders.
“Junior roles have always made up the smallest share of demand. But the overall decline in job postings affects these positions the most. You now see only around ten per cent of adverts aimed at this category. It is no longer easy to enter the field. These are precisely the repetitive, operational tasks that AI can replace,” he points out.
“Knowing one technology is no longer enough”
Turinski underlines that mastering a single technology and expecting to build a career on that basis is no longer sufficient, as it once was.
“Now, everyone needs to understand that a much broader skill set is required – not just one technology, but several, along with an understanding of processes, soft skills needed for the job, and awareness of the company’s needs and projects,” he says.
What about people without a degree?
A significant portion of the IT workforce consists of people who retrained, self-taught programmers, or those who completed courses.
The IT industry, Turinski recalls, was built on the idea that a degree is not essential – what matters is knowledge, results, and projects you can present to an employer.
“That is what is valued – your experience. That is still the case today, regardless of the situation in the industry. No one will value your degree simply for having one,” he emphasises.
In the digital world, everything changes quickly, and career paths that were once standard no longer apply in the same way.
“Back then, the advice was: pick one technology and master it. I would no longer dare to give that advice. It is not that it is wrong, but I would not give only that advice. What is crucial now is breadth,” says Turinski.
The role of academic knowledge
As for fundamental knowledge – mathematics and computer science acquired at university – Turinski says employers still value it highly, but increasingly demand soft skills alongside technical expertise.
“They want you to understand processes, work in a team, communicate effectively, manage projects, and grasp the bigger picture – what the company actually needs and why you are working on something. It is no longer enough just to complete a coding task and consider your job done. Employers now expect versatility from developers, which is a relatively new trend in the market,” he explains.
“AI is the future, but employers will have to open doors”
There is much discussion about artificial intelligence replacing many professions, and IT is certainly one of the fields where AI is most widely and effectively applied.
“We must be aware that experts with advanced knowledge of AI tools and development are still in demand. This will undoubtedly shape the future,” Turinski notes. On the other hand, he adds that employers will eventually need to recognise the lack of opportunities for juniors, since they will need to develop mid-level and senior professionals over time.
“When the market stabilises again, companies will have to open their doors so that young people can find their path and start building their careers,” Turinski concludes, emphasising that information technology remains a profession of the future.
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