Attendees at the 2025 AFROTECH Conference share how their experience at the event left them feeling optimistic, despite their views on the state of the job market.
One of the main reasons many people attend the annual gathering of like-minded people is not only to find community among peers, talk to recruiters, and land a new job, but also to educate themselves about the latest trends and how to prepare for the future of tech. The landscape for job seekers and recruiters across many industries has been quite different due to recent economic changes, the evolution of AI, and other factors. Blavity spoke with registrants on the ground to hear their perspective on how the climate is shaping—or not impacting—their outlook, as the conference aims to serve the Black community.
How is AFROTECH providing optimism in the tech space?
According to Indeed’s Hiring Lab, hiring in tech-related positions has been uneven since mid-2023. Tech postings on Indeed were down about 36% versus early-2020 levels by July 2025, even as some AI-linked roles remained popular. As a first-time student attendee, Latia Harris said the Expo Hall felt welcoming and gave her real hope in a challenging market.
“At first, when I came in, it was a little bit daunting, but I think that everybody was very welcoming and the ease of the process was good,” the University of Washington senior expressed. “Of course, we all know that the market is kind of bad now, but this kind of gives me a little bit of hope, especially talking to individuals and getting those on-site offers. That really was good for me, so I’m hopeful and excited, especially with me graduating in the spring.”
From San Francisco, Jonathan Henderson described the expo as impressive and promising for both early-career and seasoned professionals.
“This is my first AFROTECH. This expo has actually been really impressive. Much more than I expected,” San Francisco local Jonathan Henderson agreed. “It’s really cool to see top tech comp here. I’m pretty optimistic seeing this both for new grads and for long-time professionals for myself.”
Owens-Davis mentioned the job market felt bittersweet, with industry cuts offset by the inspiration of focused, highly educated attendees.
“The current climate right now, what’s happening in the tech industry, and hearing that it’s spreading across the whole industry, with, unfortunately, job cuts and layoffs. It’s sad. The tech industry has always been an industry that has always been growing and innovative and this is where it’s at,” Owens-Davis explained. “This is the place that’s really cool, but now, even though this is my first time being here, I’ve heard from a couple of people already say you can kind of feel it in the atmosphere…what’s going on with the layoffs and all that stuff.
She continued, “It feels a little sad, but it’s also very hopeful because there’s so many young people that are so educated and so driven and so focused on what they want. So, a little mixed feelings [about the job market].”
Hailing from New York, Kevin Richards pointed out that sales jobs still stand out because impact is easy to prove, even as others struggle to show results.
“I think sales is still prevalent because I noticed that when I talk to people here, they’re even having problems with getting promoted or finding a role because it’s hard for them to actually show their direct impact on a business or prove that it was them who did that. But for me, it’s cut and dry: ‘Hey, I had this amount of calls, and we have this amount of money.’ It’s a lot easier for me than a lot of the engineers and product developers, and I do notice that,” Richards said. “But even being able to be here and tell them the different sides of the business, that’s fine as well, ’cause on the other side, some salespeople are sick of it, no matter what, every month starting from zero.”
AI is present, but it’s not the whole story
There has been much chatter about how AI is reshaping job content and postings. Economic research conducted by Indeed’s Hiring Lab reported that 26% of U.S. jobs posted in the past year could be “highly” transformed by generative AI, as mentions of it in postings are rising. Despite this news, some have embraced and aren’t that worried about AI’s impact on employment.
From the executive track, Phillip Jones from Brooklyn, New York, stressed that thought leadership is the edge that keeps you employable amid the AI buzz.
“I thought the expo was amazing. I attended some really cool sessions, really geared toward the CMO orgs, where I’m spending a lot of time in my field right now. I think the job market is interesting, right? AI, two letters everybody keeps hearing, right? But I think that you gotta start thinking about how you can use thought leadership to keep you above the trends and keep you employed,” Jones articulated.
“And I think I just heard in this session, if you’re just thinking about and you’re just good at doing your daily tasks and jobs, and that’s what people are coming to you for, then you might have missed the boat,” he added. “You really need to focus on how to have people come to you about leadership things, about strategic things. And that’s where my focus is right now.”
Richards, a sales expert, believes buyers still prefer people over bots and that AI-first selling hasn’t yet earned their trust.
“I don’t think people have bought into it being easier to sell through online and AI rather than a real person yet, so my experience isn’t the same as some people that are at other companies where they are trying to replace jobs with cutting corners like AI and stuff like that,” he said.
Summing up a cautious view, Calicutt acknowledged that the market feels wobbly now but should recover as AI finds its place.
“I think the tech job market is kind of rocky right now, to be quite honest. I think it’s just a lot of uncertainty going on with just the country and everything. I think with the AI booming later down the line, job roles will be more prominent for sure. I think it’s facing little roadblocks now, but I think it will recover,” the St. Louis native said. “I don’t believe that AI is taking over any jobs, but I think that we’re kind of making room for AI to really be involved inside various organizations.”
Conference and Expo Hall takeaways
The action flows through the Expo Hall, where interactive sponsor booths showcase big ideas on the Blavity Stage and the Product & Innovation Stage transforms cutting-edge demos and hands-on workshops into real learning.
“My experience so far has been amazing. This is year two for me. I came back excited and thrilled that I have the opportunity to connect with so many different companies,” Trenise Player said about her time spent in the Expo Hall. “My background is in sales, so thus far, I’ve connected with so many sales leaders and senior leadership for potential opportunities for me to explore. So, I am taking away those opportunities as well as learning. I think that tech is continuously growing, and what better time to join the tech space and the tech world now?”
Recruiters and employees alike described AFROTECH’s Expo Hall as a place for honest conversations, practical feedback, and a full-circle sense of community.
“This is my first year at AFROTECH, and I would say coming to the expo, I definitely have met so many great people, people that are willing to give me feedback,” Houston resident Chicora Johnson told Blavity. “It’s been very fruitful conversations, resources that I can use, of course, once I go back to my job. And me being an HR professional, really having these conversations and learning how I can merge the HR professional practices with the tech community has been awesome.”
“I’m here representing my company. Um, so how does it make me feel? It makes me feel inspired. I love seeing all the young people that are here like uber educated and very focused on what they want to do, especially within the world of tech,” Californian Danet Owens-Davis shared about her time at the AFROTECH Conference. “I was just texting a group of friends who are back at home that my cup is very full. I love being around all of us. I don’t really get a chance to have these type of events very often, and so when I do, I’m trying to just soak it up and just be around.”