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(Pexels)
As an entry-level job seeker, Aravind Rajadurai hoped to have a developer job lined up once he graduated from Texas State University in December 2020. But he was met with a harsh reality as he found himself still searching for full-time positions in Austin almost 10 months later.
With an abundance of job openings in the tech field, the demand for workers has increased in Austin. According to a report released by the Austin Chamber of Commerce, of the 88,000 job postings during this past August, the largest category was computer and mathematical occupations, evidence of the tech boom.
Even in the peak of the pandemic, the tech industry wasn't hit as hard; Austin tech jobs grew by 3.5% year-over-year in August 2020 while total jobs within the metro fell by 2.9%, according to the Austin Chamber. This comes with the explosion of California-based tech companies like Tesla and TikTok moving to Austin over the past year.
With so many openings, the issue for job seekers in this sector is competition. As tech companies search for quality talent, entry-level and more experienced workers are competing with each other for the same jobs.
"I thought it'd be easy as soon as I graduated because I had my knowledge," said Rajadurai, who has lived in Austin for about 10 years. "But that was not really the case at all."
Starting out can be tough
The need for developers has grown tremendously—software development jobs have increased 73.2% compared to last February, Indeed tells Austonia. But breaking into the tech industry is no easy task for the less experienced.
(Aravind Rajadurai)
When he graduated college, Rajadurai was working part-time at Looking Up To You LLC as an office assistant but eventually transitioned to become an office manager.
As he learned of the prerequisite skills for many of the positions he was applying for, he left his full-time position to focus on his job search and fine-tune those necessary skills.
"The problem was that even for an entry-level person, they ask you something that's mid-level," Rajadurai said. "You have to be excellent with what you're doing and show you have more than an entry-level skill set to get in."
With no experience, Rajadurai says it's been tough landing an entry-level position.
The winners of this race
The current tech hiring climate is best for mid-level employees who have the upper hand when it comes to switching to another company.
According to the Chamber report, the average salary for tech workers in Austin increased from approximately $79,591 in August 2020 to $91,600 a year later. It could be a sign companies are willing to pay more for the sake of tech skills and experience.
(Leon Johnson)
Leon Johnson, an Austin resident who lives near the Domain, recently left his position as a software engineer at Visa after a little over a year to accept a job offer at Bright Health, a health-tech insurance company in Austin. After working in the tech industry for a year and a half, he wanted to work in a startup tech environment and was able to successfully pursue that goal in terms of both mission and salary preferences.
"I knew what I was looking for. You start to know your worth and realize how much you can be getting paid so you become a little bit pickier," Johnson said. "With the tech industry, especially in Austin, a lot of companies are willing to pay you the money if you ask for it."
The tech labor market also affects employees who are not looking for a new job but instead seeking better benefits or internal policy changes from their current employer.
Over 8,300 Austin employers are in the tech industry with more sure to gravitate to the Hill Country. The tech companies that had the most job listings this summer included IBM, Dell, Apple and Facebook—and experience is the name of the game.
"It's a numbers game, and there are so many engineers who have either more experience than you or a better resume," Johnson said. "It can become discouraging sometimes (but) eventually, you'll get a 'yes.'"
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Popular
Austin FC kept rival FC Dallas to a draw Saturday night as it pulled off a 2-2 comeback. (Austin FC/Twitter)
Despite a 2-0 deficit, there was a pot of gold for Austin FC after all as it celebrated its annual Pride Night with rainbows and a 2-2 comeback draw to FC Dallas Saturday night.
After three FC Dallas losses last season, the Dallas derby draw marks the first time Austin FC has tied against its Copa Texas rival. Austin continues to edge over FC Dallas as it sits at 3rd in the MLS West.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the match:
A somber start
¡Ya Basta! Enough! End Gun Violence. #uvaldestrong
— Los Verdes (@LosVerdesATX) June 26, 2022
📷 @arubiophotospic.twitter.com/3PiVdTPtik
Decked out in colorful hues for LBGTQ+ Pride, Verde fans started the match on a somber note as they held up banners to take a stand against gun violence before the match.
As the national anthem began, fans held up banners with the names of each child that was killed in the Uvalde school shooting and a plea to "end gun violence."
The supporters' section was also dotted with Pride flags and a "Bans off Our Bodies" banner in protest of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
(Claire Partain/Austonia)
(Claire Partain/Austonia)
FC Dallas earns a 2-0 lead
Paul Arriola is there to put it away and put @FCDallas ahead! pic.twitter.com/Z4AMmM6lp3
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
That sober tone continued onto the pitch. With midfielder Daniel Pereira's absence due to a red card, the Verde and Black lost two goals to FC Dallas by the 70th minute of play.
FC Dallas played it sneaky for the first half of the match, giving Austin FC plenty of room to hold possession as it waited to strike on a Verde error. That mentality proved dangerous for Austin as Dallas' Paul Arriola took advantage of Brad Stuver's deflection to score the first goal of the night in the 57th minute of play.
Dallas struck once more as Brandon Servant pushed past the Verde line to score the second goal of the match.
#DTID double their lead!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
The substitute Brandon Servania with a fine finish within five minutes of coming on. 💥 pic.twitter.com/IZm0YsPxG5
Austin FC strikes back
Sebastián Driussi pulls one back!#AustinFC are still in this one. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Yoi0x768jb
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
But energy quickly returned to Austin's favor thanks to Designated Player Sebastian Driussi, who scooted past several FC Dallas defenders alongside Moussa Djitte to snag an unlikely first goal for Austin.
A full Verde comeback
Late drama in this Texas Derby!@AustinFC ties it up, Danny Hoesen with the diving header. 😱 pic.twitter.com/Jk2f4fIEXG
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
Austin's subs proved deadly as momentum returned to the home team toward the end of the match. A well-placed cross from Nick Lima—and a diving header from a fresh-legged Danny Hoesen—helped the team secure the draw with a second Verde goal in the 84th minute of play.
Hoesen, who was Austin's first starting striker last season, has now scored two goals with the team after a yearlong injury stuck him on the bench.
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(Bob Daemmrich)
Hours following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion, on Friday, about 1,000 people gathered in Republic Square with signs calling for change.
The rally, organized by the group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights Texas, started at the federal courthouse on Republic Square on Friday at 5 p.m. before the crowd marched to the Texas Capitol. More protests are expected to ensue over the weekend.
People showed up with all types of signs like Mindy Moffa holding up, "Keep your filthy laws off my silky drawers."
Austin joined cities across the country that saw protests for a women's right to an abortion after the ruling.
According to a recent UT poll, 78% of Texas voters support abortion access in most cases.
Sabrina Talghade and Sofia Pellegrini held up signs directed at Texas laws. A Texas trigger law will ban all abortions from the moment of fertilization, starting 30 days after the ruling. When state legislators passed the trigger law last summer, it also passed laws for more protection of firearms, including the right to open carry without a permit.
Lili Enthal of Austin yells as around 1,000 Texans marched to the Texas Capitol.
From the Texas Capitol, Zoe Webb lets her voice be heard against the Supreme Court ruling.
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