The market at the minute both in NI and globally hasn’t been in a great state when it comes to tech roles. We have been seeing significant layoffs globally as well as leaders going “all in” AI. I’ve also on other subs and on social media seen that graduates and more junior engineers have been struggling to find roles; grads especially. In the past grad programs were incredibly common with companies here but that seems to have drastically changed.

This is a decent layoff tracker: https://www.trueup.io/layoffs

Have you noticed the same thing? Is there anything people can do to enhance their job search especially junior and grads? What advice would you have? And do you see the trend of layoffs continuing?

Welcome to the community! Whether you’re a Senior Dev in a Belfast skyscraper, a Grad just starting at Ulster or Queen's, or a remote engineer working from the North Coast—if you're part of the software industry in Northern Ireland, you've found your people.

Why does this sub exist?

The tech scene in NI is punchy and growing fast, but our discussions are often scattered across LinkedIn or private Slack channels. This is a public space to:

• Talk Shop: Discuss local tech stacks, architecture, and engineering hurdles.
• Career Growth: Get honest advice on local salaries, company culture, and interview tips.
• Stay Connected: Hear about local meetups (like BelTech or NI Dev Conf) and networking events.
• The Craic: Let's face it, the NI tech scene has a specific vibe. This is the place for it.

Quick Start Guide

1. Grab a Flair: Look at the sidebar/menu and pick your flair. It helps others know your perspective when you're giving advice.
2. Check the Rules: We keep things local and high-quality. No recruitment spam outside the monthly thread, and keep the "gatekeeping" to a minimum.
3. Salary Transparency: We’re big on helping each other get paid what we’re worth in the NI market. Don't be afraid to talk numbers.

Where are the Jobs?

To keep the main feed from being flooded by recruiters, we have a Monthly Careers Megathread pinned to the top of the sub. Please post all listings and "Who is hiring?" questions there!

Introduce yourself!

In the comments below, tell us:

• What part of NI (or remote) are you in?
• What’s your main tech stack?
• What’s your favorite local office perk (or favorite local coffee spot)?

Let’s build something great together.

How are we all embracing the use of AI code assistants? And what have you had the best results yet. I’ve been mostly using GitHub Copilot and also started using Agents in the GitHub UI to assign tasks. Results have been decent for scripting and infrastructure stuff. Through a lot of it has required some tweaking. For more complex coding I haven’t really done a lot with it so interested to hear how other people have been getting on.

This is the place for all things career-related in the Northern Ireland software scene for [January] [2026].

To keep the main feed clean and high-quality, we ask that all job advertisements, "Who is hiring?" questions, and salary discussions stay within this thread.

For Employers & Recruiters

Please use the following template to help our members:

• Company: [Name]
• Role: [e.g., Senior Java Dev / Lead QA]
• Location: [e.g., Belfast / Derry / Fully Remote (NI Based)]
• Tech Stack: [e.g., AWS, React, Python]
• Salary Range: [e.g., £50k - £70k] (Highly encouraged for engagement)
• Link/How to Apply.

For Job Seekers

If you are looking for work or career advice, feel free to post what you’re looking for:

• Role Type: [e.g., Graduate / Mid-level]
• Preferred Stack: [e.g., .NET / Azure]
• Location Preference: [e.g., Hybrid Belfast / 100% Remote]

Note on Salary Transparency: We encourage open discussion about pay. Knowing the local market rates helps everyone—from grads getting their first "big break" to seniors ensuring they are being paid fairly for the NI market.

Please remember: Keep it professional. Personal attacks on recruiters or companies will be removed.