Lately I was on a tram here in Kraków, and I accidentally overheard a conversation between two young guys—likely in their early twenties. I don’t make a habit of listening in on others, but when I heard the word “IT”, my ears perked up involuntarily. (Kraków being a tech hub and all… it’s hard not to.)
What made me raise my eyebrow was this one sentence, said quite loudly:
“You know, in IT you earn how much you want and work whenever you want.”
And I thought—really? still?
Because looking at the market, reading reports, seeing what’s going on with hiring—especially at junior level—it’s definitely not as easy as this guy made it sound. Even seniors sometimes struggle to find new projects or roles, especially with all the layoffs, hiring freezes, and tightened budgets we've seen in recent months.
So it made me wonder: how is it that this “IT is a dreamland” narrative is still alive?
Maybe they were just dreaming. Maybe he thinks he’s in IT already but hasn’t yet hit the first roadblock. Maybe they were just talking about aspirations. I don’t know them, of course. But the contrast was too big not to notice—between what I heard in that tram and what I see daily: job offers getting fewer, candidates waiting longer, even experienced professionals dealing with uncertainty.
Just to give this some context:
According to No Fluff Jobs, in 2024, junior IT job postings dropped by 30% in Poland. At the same time, requirements are going up, processes are getting longer, and “remote” doesn’t always mean “remote” anymore. Salaries? Not skyrocketing like they used to.
So no, IT is not “earn whatever, work whenever” anymore.
Maybe it never really was—at least not for everyone.
That tram conversation stuck with me not because I disagreed entirely, but because it reminded me how persistent some myths are. The idea that IT is still this magic golden ticket clearly hasn’t gone away. Especially for people just entering the field.
Sure, IT still has its perks. Flexibility, innovation, career growth—they’re all possible. But they aren’t handed out on day one. They’re earned. Through learning, adapting, and proving yourself in a space that moves fast and doesn’t slow down for anyone.
What surprises me is that even today—with so many articles, LinkedIn posts, and hard data pointing to a slowdown—this belief in the magic of IT still exists. It’s like watching a rerun of a story that’s already had its twist ending.
I don’t know those two guys on the tram. Maybe they were just hopeful. And that’s okay. But I also think we owe it to younger generations—and to ourselves—to be honest about what today’s IT world really looks like.
It’s still exciting. Still full of opportunity.
But it’s also competitive. Demanding. And far from effortless.
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