Laid-off techies head for gray areas of the job market

Check out our top articles for the week. [Read from your browser]( Top Stories of The Week Welcome to Tech in Asia's free Sunday newsletter! Get full access to our subscribers-only premium content and other insightful analysis on the big and messy topics of Asia’s tech and startup community by [registering here](. Hello {NAME} I’ve been reporting and tracking the layoffs across Asia since last year. One day, a colleague asked me where I thought these laid-off tech workers were headed. This launched me into a flurry of questions like: Which companies are they moving to? Are they even able to get a job quickly? What is the job market like for them? So I decided to work on this story and found out that the answers were not black and white. Instead, the light needed to be shed on several shades of gray. For instance, while there are a lot more job openings out there, employers are pickier than they used to be and want candidates with multiple skills and at a lower cost to the firm. Meanwhile, a lot of candidates are more focused on job stability, driving them to seek a career away from tech startups. What hit me was how the stories I’d heard made me face some hard questions as a journalist. Usually I write stories about people and companies in the hope of making a difference, but then I quickly move on to the next piece. But this story made me pause and ask, can I do something beyond just reporting? It brought me to the [“The Struggling Girl”]( a photo taken by Kevin Carter, who [died by suicide]( at age 33 just four months after bagging the Pulitzer Prize for this image. Published in the The New York Times, Carter’s photo depicted a feeble, famine-stricken child in Sudan who had collapsed to the ground while a hooded vulture was close by. The image won praise and spurred people to donate to humanitarian organizations, but it also raised questions about journalistic ethics and behavior. Should journalists just observe and report when faced with shocking scenarios or other people’s suffering? This story made me realize that I can’t just be a silent observer - I need to go beyond that. It is possible to do your job of reporting and also help another human being in your own capacity. In this case, since I spoke to recruiters and HR tech companies, it was easy for me to connect them to these job candidates. It also showed me we can do more as journalists, particularly if there’s a chance to make a difference in another's life. I believe this is a principle that even non-journalists could apply in their line of work. Do you agree? Let me know your thoughts - I would like to know more. -- [Collin Furtado]( journalist at Tech in Asia  --------------------------------------------------------------- TOP STORIES THIS WEEK 1️. [Where are SEA’s laid-off techies headed?]( The trauma of being laid off has led some candidates to ditch startup jobs for a career at non-tech firms. 2. [Indonesia courts Tesla but faces EV roadblocks]( In spite of its nickel reserves, the country’s electric vehicle story has big challenges, including not having a local car brand. 3. [What Shopee’s breakup with Ninja Van, QuadX in the Philippines means for 3PL firms]( Following the breakup, Ninja Van still has fairly strong ecommerce partners in the country: Lazada and TikTok Shop. 4. [Exclusive: RedDoorz breaks even in Indonesia, Philippines]( CEO Amit Saberwal talks about the hospitality startup’s plans to break even by Q4 this year, among other goals. 5. [Why are Sega, Bandai, Square Enix backing this blockchain?]( Oasys’ new gaming-focused blockchain has an edge that’s hard to replicate: the support of Japanese gaming giants. But it has unique challenges, too. 6. [Indonesian chicken startup’s 20x revenue jump sees it take off]( Alpha JWC-backed Pitik has seen huge growth in its monthly revenue, but how does it measure up against competition like East Ventures-backed Chickin? 7. [Analyzing VNG’s surprise listing and prospectus]( The dream of a US listing might not be over for VNG, but will foreign investors find it attractive enough? 8. [50 rising startups in Korea]( Check out this constantly updated list of startups in Korea that have recently raised funding. 9. [Exclusive: Social commerce platform WeBuy seeks $20m to launch financial services]( The firm plans to begin offering mortgages in Singapore as soon as this year. 10. [Malaysia budget: Expect fewer goodies for tech and startups]( Founders may be in for an uphill battle in the hunt for opportunities. ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING You can also check out a curated list of trending tech events [over here](. - [Tech in Asia’s Product Development Conference 2023]( from May 16 to May 17 Tech in Asia’s Product Development Conference is back! This year’s edition, which will be held in person in Jakarta, will feature over 20 industry leaders, experts, and innovators sharing the latest trends and strategies that can accelerate product development growth. [Register now]( and you can get 50% off. This early bird promo is available for a limited time only, though, so don’t miss out!  - [Tech in Asia’s Founders Meetup: Singapore on February 22]( Our networking event, Founders Meetup: Singapore, is happening on February 22, at Crane (Arab Street). Join us and share the hardest challenges you’ve faced as a founder. To help you find solutions, we’ll introduce you to fellow founders who have been there and done that. Register today! --------------------------------------------------------------- WHO'S HIRING  You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. [logo] [Senior DevOps (AwanTunai)]( at Deall Jobs Jakarta, Indonesia IDR 20,000,000 – 35,000,000 [logo] [Senior Backend Developer (Golang)]( at Pintar Ventura Group Jakarta, Indonesia IDR 10,000,000 – 25,000,000 [logo] [SAP FI]( at Scout.inc Jakarta, Indonesia IDR 6,000,000 – 8,000,000 [logo] [Solution Manager (Product Manager)]( at Female Daily Network Jakarta, Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia [logo] [Project & Operations Manager]( at Chykalophia Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia IDR 10,000,000 – 12,000,000 [logo] [Project Executive]( at MyRobin Malang, Indonesia IDR 3,768,275 – 3,768,276 [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( | [HIRE]( | [FIND JOBS]( P.S. Don't miss out on the biggest tech news and analysis. Add newsletter@techinasia.com to your address book, contacts, or safe sender list. Or simply move us into your inbox. Too many emails? Switch to a different frequency or get new content through our [preference center]( or [unsubscribe](. 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