How to Build a Career When the Rules Keep Changing w/ Taylor Desseyn & Jason Torres - Whiskey Web and Whatnot: Web Development, Neat

Episode Description

Recorded live at All Things Open, Robbie talks with Taylor Desseyn and Jason Torres about the future of tech careers, AI’s impact on hiring, and why relationships still matter more than résumés. They share insights from years in recruiting and community building, stressing that genuine connection—not cold applications—opens doors in today’s market.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro
(01:48) - A toast to Busch Light
(05:46) - Meet Taylor and Jason
(08:14) - Is now a good time to get into tech?
(13:12) - How AI is reshaping the tech job market
(16:07) - Standing out in a crowded industry
(20:36) - Can open source help you get hired?
(23:48) - Will Shane Beamer head to Virginia Tech?
(25:13) - Do pro athletes really make too much money?
(26:47) - Should politicians be paid like CEOs?
(30:43) - What it means to be an authentic creator
(34:07) - How Torc is chasing greatness
(38:01) - Is AI killing organic content growth?
(39:26) - Parenting, perspective, and balance
(42:20) - Where to connect with Taylor and Jason online

Links

Busch Light: https://www.busch.com/
Ep 216: Why Open Source Might Be Your Best Career Move w/ Shruti Kapoor: https://whiskey.fm/why-open-source-might-be-your-best-career-move-w-shruti-kapoor
Jason Lengstorf: https://jason.energy/
Costco: https://www.costco.com
The Office: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Office_(American_TV_series)
Dragonberry Bacardi: https://www.bacardi.com/us/en/our-rums/dragonberry-rum/
Goldschlager: https://www.sazerac.com/our-brands/sazerac-brands/goldschlager.html
Jagermeister: https://www.jagermeister.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/
Guidance Counselor 2.0 podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/career-counseling/id1256154656?mt=2
Ep 493 - Pretending to Have The Job Before You Get It w/ Josh Cirre, DevRel @ Laravel: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-493-pretending-to-have-the-job-before-you-get/id1256154656?i=1000729870607
Cobol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COBOL
React: https://react.dev/
X: https://www.x.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com
Discord: https://discord.com
Taylor's All Things Open talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEV7TO7UEBU
Mr. Beast: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MrBeast
Kai Cenat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai_Cenat
All Things Open: https://allthingsopen.org/
.NET: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/
Java: https://www.java.com/
React Miami: https://www.reactmiami.com/
Taylor's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@tdesseyn
Slack: https://slack.com/
South Carolina Gamecocks: https://gamecocksonline.com/
Shane Beamer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Beamer
Virginia Tech: https://www.vt.edu/
James Franklin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Franklin_(American_football_coach)
Pennsylvania State University: https://www.psu.edu
LaNorris Sellers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaNorris_Sellers
Patrick Mahomes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs: https://www.chiefs.com/
NVidia: https://www.nvidia.com/
Apple: https://apple.com
Elon Musk: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
DHH: https://x.com/dhh/
Rails: https://rubyonrails.org/
Bain: https://www.bain.com/
McKinsey: https://www.mckinsey.com/
Netlify: https://www.netlify.com/
Barstool Sports: https://www.barstoolsports.com/
Syntax: https://syntax.fm/
Sentry: https://Sentry.io/
CodeRabbit: https://www.coderabbit.ai/
Torc: https://torc.dev
Torc Community: https://torc.dev/community
Torc Discord: https://torc.dev/discord

Connect with Taylor

Website: https://linktr.ee/taylordesseyn
X / Twitter: https://x.com/tdesseyn

Connect with Jason

GitHub: https://github.com/jasonetorres
X / Twitter: https://x.com/TasonJorres

Connect with the hosts

Robbie Wagner: https://x.com/RobbieTheWagner
Chuck Carpenter: https://x.com/CharlesWthe3rd
Adam Argyle: https://x.com/argyleink

Subscribe and stay in touch

Website: https://whiskey.fm
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whiskey-web-and-whatnot/id1552776603
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19jiuHAqzeKnkleQUpZxDf
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1552776603
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskeyWebAndWhatnot

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More about Whiskey Web and Whatnot: Web Development, Neat

Veteran web developers RobbieTheWagner, Charles William Carpenter III, and Adam Argyle host this informal, whiskey-fueled fireside chat with your favorite web devs. They discuss all things web development including JavaScript, TypeScript, EmberJS, React, Astro, SolidJS, CSS, HTML, Web3, and more. They take a unique approach and focus on getting to know the human side of developers and their hobbies outside of work, all while sampling a new whiskey that they rate on their unique tentacle scale.