I do think most of us can attest to the fact that, entry level roles are not 'entry' anymore, I do see alot of tech jobs on sites with '2 or more years of experience' (how are we supposed to get that experience if no one wants to hire entry level applicants?!)
I check my email like checking the time, just to see if I get a 'congratulations..' message, or an opportunity that would help pivot my career somehow? It was a saturday, I didn't sleep much the day before so I woke up around mid afternoon. First thing I usually do is to check my mail (even before other social media apps). I saw a 'congratulations, you have been shortlisted for the role...'. I was so excited! Till I went for the interview and did not get the job...
I Applied for a Part-Time Junior Role. I Didn't Get It, And I Realized My Degree is a History Lesson.
Between lectures on compiler theory and trying to master DevOps, I just wanted a part-time junior gig, something to pay the rent and finally get some "real-world" experience on my CV.
I found a startup nearby hiring for a "Junior Web Developer." The job description was standard 2024 stuff: React, Node, basic Git. I’ve built a dozen projects like that. I walked in thinking I was overqualified.
I walked out realizing the job I was looking for doesn't exist anymore.
The Interview that Broke Me
The interviewer didn't ask to see my GitHub. He didn't ask me to whiteboard an algorithm. He just pointed at a screen with 2,000 lines of fresh, AI-generated TypeScript.
"I just let go of our last junior," he said, and my stomach dropped. "He was great at writing code, but I don't need a writer anymore. I have an agent for that. I need a Forensic Auditor."
He set a timer for 20 minutes. "The agent says this payment gateway refactor is 'Successful.' My logs say otherwise. Tell me why the machine is lying to me."
I sat there staring at the most "perfect" code I’d ever seen. No typos. Perfect indentation. But I froze. I spent my labs at Uni learning how to create loops, not how to find a microscopic logic flaw in a "perfect" hallucination.
I didn't find the bug. The timer hit zero. I didn't get the job.
Why the "Junior" Label is a Lie in 2026
Walking back to the Mile End station, it hit me: The "Junior Developer" hasn't just moved, it’s been deleted.
In 2022, your value was being a "coder." In 2026, your value is being a Senior-level Filter.
The industry has lost its patience for the "ramp-up" period. Companies aren't hiring for potential anymore; they’re hiring for control. They want people who can act like a Lead on Day 1 because the AI is already handling the "Junior" work (boilerplate, unit tests, basic CRUD) for free.
The Computer Lab vs. The Real World
At Uni, we’re still arguing over semicolons. In the real world, the Lead Architect is managing a fleet of 10 AI agents while they sleep.
The "traditional" student roadmap is a total trap. If your resume says you "know Python and Java," you're competing with a calculator. If you’re still grinding LeetCode Easy, you’re training for a race that ended two years ago.
To actually get hired in 2026, you have to leapfrog the "Junior" phase entirely. Entry-level now means:
System Forensics: Can you debug a "perfect" system you didn't write?
Orchestration: Can you manage the agents instead of being replaced by them?
Architectural Judgment: Can you tell the CEO why the AI's "efficient" code is actually a security nightmare?
The Dark Reality
We are the first generation of developers who have to be Seniors before we’re allowed to be Juniors. It’s a "Programming Dark Age" where the bridge from student to expert is being burned down by automation.
I didn't get the role because I was a student trying to be a coder. I should have been a student trying to be a Lead.
To my fellow students: Are you still building "Weather Apps," or are you learning how to audit an AI's hallucination? Because the industry isn't waiting for us to catch up.
I know this hurts, but we need to talk about it.
Top comments (3)
An excellent and well-timed post, Maame.
For myself, AI remains a solution looking for a problem. That said, AI is here to stay, in some way, shape, or form. The bubble will burst but it won't burst in the same way as other technologies marketed as the next big thing have. It will always have a use but it is up to us to define it now - before it's too late.
By too late, I simply mean before understanding is lost. This is especially true to those starting their journey. They should build a foundation before looking indepth at AI. Why? Because in the future, people will be needed to understand that vibe code. There will be a period of transition before things settle down.
To my mind, Senior Developers are best placed to make the most gains with AI at the moment. I say this because they have that firm foundation. Juniors without that will struggle. Not today, no, but at some future point.
This isn't an attack on AI - it's simply a reminder that we can decide how to use it.
I completely agree that Senior Developers are the ones seeing the most gain right now. To them, AI is a force multiplier; they have the mental models to spot hallucinations or inefficient patterns instantly. For those of us still in the 'foundation-building' phase, there is a real risk that using AI too early becomes a crutch rather than a tool.
What a shit exercise. I don't think anyone can find a bug in 2000 lines in 20 minutes.
The way I would approach it is to ask for the previous code, to check what the refactoring did.
The command that triggered the refactoring, to check if there is language that AI can interpret wrongly.
Look at the logs, I assume they are the actions the AI executed, to check if a wrong command is given to AI by the agent.
If there is a bug, there is always a cause. When people produced the bugs it was easier, because they are typing slower. And if you know them, you understand were they fail.
With AI in the mix there are different stages where it can go wrong, so it is much harder to debug.
While syntax is a important part, schools that provide an IT trajectory should also teach the theory. Only learning syntax is something for a bootcamp.
There are smart people that can understand concepts very fast, but most of us need time to learn from our mistakes.
I think it is the businesses who think they can rely on as little people as possible, that are going to be in trouble once the cost of using AI are going to go up. At the moment the AI companies are running on big losses, and at one time they are going to generate money instead of spending it.
Even as someone that has experience I don't know everything. So are they going to fire me because I need a ramp up period to learn a new thing when asked?
When I did hiring interviews, I looked for intelligent questions when hiring a junior. Even if they where beside the point, it showed the curiosity to understand the problem.
It is a rough time now because a lot of things are still up in the air, and nobody can tell what is going to land.