Laid Off Engineers: What AI Changed in the Workplace with Sid Parakh

In this conversation, Sid Parakh, a Director of Engineering, and Isabel Rasmussen, Technical Recruiter and host of Your Next Tech Startup discuss the changes engineering teams have experienced over the last year. Many engineers have been laid off and have been job hunting for 6-18 months. Consequently, they're missing out on day-to-day changes happening in the fast-paced startup world. Not understanding how teams are now working differently puts unemployed candidates at a significant disadvantage. We discuss the transformative impact of AI on engineering teams, hiring practices, and the evolving roles of engineers. Sid emphasizes the importance of adaptability, business acumen, and the integration of AI skills in the hiring process. The discussion also highlights the significance of collaborative learning through hackathons as a means to upskill and stay relevant in the industry.   Host: Isabel Rasmussen https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelrasmussen/ Guest: Siddharth Parakh https://www.linkedin.com/in/parakhsiddharth/   Chapters 00:00 The Impact of AI on Engineering Teams at Startups 05:20 The Evolution of Engineering Skills 08:02 The Importance of Business Acumen 10:28 Outcome Over Output in Engineering 12:56 AI in the Interview Process 15:40 The Need for Adaptability 18:22 Networking and Hackathons   Isabel is a Fractional Head of Technical Recruitment who works directly with engineering leaders to hire top talent — from Senior Software Engineers to Directors of Engineering. With over a decade of experience recruiting for high-growth startups, she brings a strategic, hands-on approach to scaling technical teams that thrive in fast-paced environments. Isabel is also the host of Your Next Tech Startup, a weekly podcast where she interviews founders, engineering leaders, and software engineers about what it really takes to build and grow teams in the startup world. 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournexttechstartup 📺 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/exiBw46n 🎧 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eYsCN4y4🍎 ❤️ iHeartRadio: https://shorturl.at/NI3sq❤️   Music by: https://www.bensound.com Artist: Marcus P. License code: 4YKVHGTNVRLVH3BV