The practice of software engineers offering monetary rewards for job referrals or help in landing employment is gaining traction. This trend became prominent when Argenis De La Rosa, a computer science student at Harvard Extension School, posted on LinkedIn that he would pay $10,000 to anyone who could help him secure a six-figure software developer role. De La Rosa’s post garnered significant attention, prompting several offers of mentorship and referrals from industry professionals. However, some responses were dubious sales pitches.
Following De La Rosa’s example, Ryan Prescott posted on LinkedIn, expressing his desire for a software developer role paying at least $120,000. Prescott’s post attracted significant interest, leading to a startup CEO offering him a senior front-end engineer position. Since the offer came directly from the CEO, Prescott was exempt from his self-imposed $10,000 payment obligation. Prescott stressed the importance of using unique and noticeable tactics to stand out in a competitive job market.
Inspired by these examples, other LinkedIn users have adopted similar strategies. Jean-Philippe Lebœuf offered $30,000 for assistance in securing a remote job worth at least $120,000, while Ray Morrison committed to paying $15,000 in monthly increments for a position with a minimum salary of $140,000. These substantial incentives illustrate the lengths to which job seekers will go in an increasingly competitive job-market climate.
Statistics reveal a downturn in tech hiring. LinkedIn data shows a decline in positions for software engineering, IT, and project management by 26%, 27%, and 25%, respectively, from 2019 to 2025. This competitiveness compels job seekers to adopt unique tactics to attract employers’ attention.
In summary, job seekers in the tech industry are offering significant financial incentives to stand out and secure lucrative positions. This strategy underscores the importance of differentiation in a challenging job market, as traditional methods may no longer suffice in such a competitive landscape.
