Now is an incredibly challenging time for STEM professionals to find new job opportunities, land those jobs, or simply grow in their careers. To date in 2025, U.S. companies have announced almost 1 million job cuts — the highest amount since 2020, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. The tech sector in particular is feeling this crunch, with giants like Amazon, Intel, Meta, and Microsoft all announcing layoffs recently. And, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, college graduates between the ages of 22 and 27 with computer science and computer engineering degrees are facing some of the highest unemployment rates in the United States.
But in the midst of economic upheaval, it is possible to create new opportunities for yourself, says Alaina G. Levine, a professional speaker, STEM career coach, and author of the forthcoming book, Your Unicorn Career.
“During a challenging period of time, everyone is in pain,” says Levine. “And when you recognize that there is something that you can do to leverage your exceptional talent as an engineer to serve the community, you can access hidden opportunities to serve and hidden opportunities to land jobs.”
Whether you’ve recently been laid off, are considering a career change, or want to grow your skills and stand out in your current role, here are some of the best ways to upskill, leverage your network, and enhance your resiliency.
Upskilling for the future
Anne-Marie Imafidon is co-founder of the social initiative Stemettes, author of the book She’s in CTRL (Bantam Press, 2022), and an advocate for women in STEM. She has researched artificial intelligence, data for quantum computing, and other new technologies. She’s also explored what is known as the fourth industrial revolution, the current era in which connectivity, automation, and advanced manufacturing technologies are driving swift, vast changes in innovation. She points to a recent review of job postings in the United Kingdon published jointly by the Institute for the Future of Work and the Centre for Economic Performance. Researchers analyzed which skills are rising and which are remaining constant. They found that artificial intelligence and data literacy are climbing rapidly. But skills like communication, creativity, and collaboration have remained constant.
“If you talk about the nature of what you’re doing, then that puts more eyes on who you are, what your expertise is, and allows the right kind of people to also find you.”
— Anne-Marie Imafidon
The report, titled “Old Skills, New Skills: What is Changing in the UK Labour Market?” also found that IT skills emerge rapidly and then become obsolete; the pace of change varies widely across occupations, with the tech sector experiencing the highest turnover in skill requirements; and that continual skill training is important for the future of work. Below are the three important skills to focus on.
Upskill 1: Harnessing AI
If you’re intimidated by the rapid rise of AI, you’re not alone. However, there is no escaping the way AI will continue to permeate all job sectors, so embracing the new tech — and understanding its opportunities and constraints — is crucial to the future of your career.
At their core, AI tools are designed to learn, reason, and solve problems using approaches similar to humans. They can exist as stand-alone entities or be embedded in many software systems you already use. Large language models like Open AI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude can answer almost any prompt you input. Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and other personal digital assistants can be found on your phone and in some cases, in your home. You may already use Grammarly when you write memos, Netflix’s recommendations when deciding what to watch, or a chatbot on your hospital’s website to help make an appointment. All of these tools leverage AI.
If you’re not sure where to start in using AI, Imafidon recommends considering how you learn best. It might be listening to podcasts, taking a course, following accounts on social platforms, or reading blog posts.
Then, start using AI in areas of your own life where you’re already confident and familiar with the topic. If you already meal prep for the week, for example, ask AI to help you develop a meal prep menu. These are low-stakes areas that don’t require sharing any confidential information with the AI platform. This will give you an idea of what AI can and can’t do.
“It’s a really fun thing to start with,” Imafidon says. “You’re not going to AI as an oracle … but you’re going to just prod it. So why not prod it and experiment in a space you already know? Then, when you take it to a new space, or you try to apply it at work, you have a sense of what the limitations are.”
And then begin to play, start to build, and create “as soon as you feel able to — not comfortable, but able,” says Imafidon. “You’re not building a billion-dollar company or a new startup. You’re just doing a project: engines you might build, GPTs you might create, prompts you want to play with. And by the time you’ve done that, you’ll be ahead of most people.”
Upskill 2: Data literacy
Data literacy might not have been a part of your formal education, but it’s a skill every engineer now needs, says Imafidon. This means knowing how to access as much data as possible, having the ability to process it, understand its quality, utilize it in context, communicate its impact clearly, and use it to inform good decision-making.
Tackle upskilling in the same way: Choose the format that best suits your learning style and dive in. Here, a certificate course or continuing education credit can help you learn faster and showcase your new skills.
Upskill 3: Power skills
Skills such as communication, conflict resolution, and team building — often called soft skills, professional skills, or power skills — are more relevant than ever in today’s data-intensive, AI-driven environment. They’re what might set you apart from others who have the same technical skills.
Communication skills still reign supreme. Can you communicate the value of your project? Do you know how to market it and engage with different stakeholders, how to deliver a talk effectively and confidently in a compelling way, asks Levine.
Another power skill to hone is the ability to understand what career coach Asia Bribiesca-Hedin, CEO of Bridgewell Professional Services LLC, refers to as the decision-driver journey. “It helps you understand why people behave the way they behave, even if it’s against their own best interests.” This will help you make better decisions, she says.
People make decisions out of one of three motivators: fear, ego, or purpose. For instance, someone might not choose to engage with decision-makers or people of influence within their organization because they’re intimidated or afraid of bothering them. That’s a decision made out of fear, not purpose.
It is important to be able to stop and notice what drives your own decisions. It can be a game changer, says Bribiesca-Hedin. If you make a decision out of fear, you won’t have access to the outcomes that are available to you when you make an intentional decision out of purpose. Shifting your decision driver can help you make higher-quality decisions.
After a layoff
What if, despite efforts to upskill, you hit a serious career detour, like a layoff? Levine says the first thing to do is to stop and honor yourself. Recognize that you’ve just been through a potentially traumatic experience, and you need to grieve the loss of the job appropriately.
The next step, Levine says, is to activate your personal board of directors — a group of people from within and across industries and at various career stages, all with one thing in common: they have your back. Reach out to them and share what’s happened. Ask them out for a coffee or a Zoom catch-up call. Share your experience and ask their opinion on your next steps.
“Your organization is not the center of value. You are the center of value. You just happen to be exporting your value to that organization.”
— Asia Bribiesca-Hedin
Imafidon also recommends communicating more broadly, especially on LinkedIn. Post that you’re open for work. But also share what excites you in your industry, and what’s coming up on the horizon within your field. Or comment on how you can relate to what’s currently making headlines. She calls this “working out loud.”
“If you talk about the nature of what you’re doing, then that puts more eyes on who you are, what your expertise is, and allows the right kind of people to find you,” Imafidon says.
At the same time, continue to do freelance or contract work if you can, to keep yourself in practice. The reality of the current job market in the U.S. and in many countries means that you might not be able to jump back into a full-time role quickly. This could look like tutoring, volunteering, or consulting. And those activities might connect you with the right people for your next role.
Don’t just apply; take control
Of course, it’s almost a knee-jerk reaction to apply for jobs as one of your first steps. But it is important to understand that, while this is fine, it is a reactive job search strategy, says Bribiesca-Hedin. You need to have a strategic job search strategy, too.
“This means having clarity on where you want to go, not just where you might end up,” she says.
Start by sketching out a clear picture of the type of role you want and target 10 key organizations. Then, reach out to your networks to start conversations that will help you connect to those organizations.
Treat the job search like a job, says Bribiesca-Hedin. Set a goal, such as sending five LinkedIn messages a day or five a week. Aim to reconnect with former colleagues twice a month, for example. Spend time daily getting to know more about those targeted organizations.
“I’m big on creating execution metrics,” says Bribiesca-Hedin. Those are activity metrics based solely on what you can control. “You can’t control whether people respond, but you do control whether you make those five outreach touch points.”
If your role is at risk
Perhaps you haven’t been laid off, but there are rumblings at your company, and you’re nervous. Beyond upskilling, what can you do?
Most professionals know that hard work alone isn’t enough to advance your career or to weather a workforce reduction cycle, says Bribiesca-Hedin. “You can’t just put your head down and outskill everybody,” she says. Yet, almost instinctively, when your job is at risk, that tends to be everyone’s first response.
Don’t just be operationally significant, be strategically significant, she says. That means ensuring that the organization sees your function or contribution as being essential to its overall success.
This doesn’t mean you need to be a part of every priority project or conversation, Bribiesca-Hedin says. “But it does mean that you need to be speaking [about] and aligned with what’s important to the organization.”
In other words, “don’t be busy but directionless.”
It is also important to understand, especially during challenging times, the difference between what your organization says is important and what is actually important. “These are what I call their enacted priorities versus their values and culture pillars.”
“When you recognize that there is something that you can do to leverage your exceptional talent as an engineer to serve the community, you can get access to hidden opportunities to serve — and hidden opportunities to land jobs.”
— Alaina G. Levine
Values and culture pillars might be listed on the website or on recruiting pieces. Enacted priorities are found by noting where the organization is actually investing its money and attention. Then ask yourself how you fit into your organization’s true strategic plan.
Not every strategic plan will be favorable to every department. If you don’t see your department or function on the strategic roadmap, “you still need to be speaking the language of those priorities and understand what those priorities are,” Bribiesca-Hedin advises. “If it trickles down to your area even a little, you need to be speaking about it as though it is the most central thing your team or your function does.” If you can support a more prominent part of the plan, then you maintain strategic significance.
Nurture your plan B
Many professionals value themselves based on the organization they work with and how they’re seen by the organization. But you must demonstrate your value outside of your organization, too.
“Your organization is not the center of value. You are the center of value,” says Bribiesca-Hedin. “You just happen to be exporting your value to that organization.” It is important to have a solid reputation separate from your organization.
In this way, you will nurture a plan B, which requires intentional opportunity cultivation, or continuing to maintain warm opportunities elsewhere, even when you’re incredibly satisfied with the role that you’re in. That could look like writing an occasional blog on LinkedIn, attending a quarterly networking event or conference, or meeting with a former colleague every few months.
“All of those things add up because they’re intentionally moving you toward being recognized and valued beyond your current organization,” says Bribiesca-Hedin.
View your network differently
Whether you’re facing a layoff, looking to pivot, or want to ensure you remain in your current position for the foreseeable future, proper networking is mission-critical for everyone, experts say. For those who are averse to networking, Levine says it’s important to recognize what networking is not.
Networking is not a manipulative exercise in which you’re trying to trick, persuade, or convince someone into giving you a job or a co-op opportunity. It’s the exact opposite. “You need to reframe networking toward the truth, which is: What can I do to serve you? How can I help you? And when you reframe that in your mind, networking becomes easier and simpler,” she says.
Levine coaches STEM professionals to nurture the career of their dreams by properly leveraging their networks. This begins by taking an inventory of your own intrinsic data, which is what makes you you. What are your values, your definitions of success, your non-negotiables, your needs, wants, loves, and pain points?
The next step is collecting extrinsic data. That’s everything external to you, such as ecosystems, organizations, industries, career paths, people, and opportunities. You get access to this primarily by networking, where you’re trying to build win-win relationships with people around the world.
“We’re listening for people to describe their pain,” says Levine. “They will share the challenge that they’re facing in their institution or the gap that they’re unable to fill in their company.”
And because you know your value and strengths, you can realize when you can help alleviate someone’s pain point. You might be able to say, even in real time as they’re talking, “Wait, I can help with that,” she says.
This is how you gain access to hidden opportunities, Levine says. When you share your value, you’re planting a seed in someone else’s mind that primes them to look for opportunities for you to help them. And when there’s economic uncertainty, this “hidden job market” is where you’ll want to spend most of your time.
And as you nurture your network, Levine says, “There’s no way that you can mess this up, because you’re a human coming together in the spirit of service with another human. You may trip up your words when you first approach somebody. You may feel awkward. But you will get better at this. The more outreach you do, and the more Zoom coffees you schedule, it will get easier.”
