Landing a junior role is the first step in building a tech career – but what happens when AI takes over entry-level jobs? Many junior positions are disappearing as companies rely on AI instead of hiring juniors. How can juniors break into the tech industry? This blog explores the junior tech talent crisis – why it’s happening, what it means for job seekers, and most importantly, how juniors can find work in such conditions.
Understanding the Junior Tech Talent Crisis
The junior tech talent crisis refers to the growing difficulty that young professionals with technology education face in securing entry-level jobs. Traditionally, junior roles served as a stepping stone into the workforce, allowing individuals to gain hands-on experience, learn from experienced colleagues, and gradually take on mid-level jobs with more complex tasks. However, since 2023, Generative AI increasingly handles repetitive and data-driven tasks, such as data entry, customer support, basic coding, content generation, and administrative work. Companies, therefore, prefer to automate such tasks and have them done quickly and cheaply by AI, rather than hire and train junior employees, who will also take more time and make more human errors at such tasks. This makes it harder for new talent to enter the tech job market.
After years of steady growth, automation has led to a sharp decline in tech employment, particularly affecting entry-level positions. In the United States, for example, the industry added 267,000 IT jobs in 2022 but then abruptly lost 48,600 jobs in 2023 and another 22,300 in 2024. This marked the first multi-year contraction in tech employment since the early 2000s, with entry-level hiring slowing to a trickle across many countries. By April 2024, true entry-level openings made up only ~2.5% of all tech job postings, a steep decline from previous years.
Global data confirms this decline. In the United Kingdom, advertised tech roles in 2024 fell back to roughly pre-pandemic levels, erasing the post-2020 hiring boom. Most IT specializations saw a year-on-year drop of 40% or more in job postings. For instance, postings for programmers and Software Developers in the UK dropped by 44.8% in 2024 compared to the prior year (192,261 roles in 2024 vs. 348,446 in 2023).
With AI rapidly reshaping the job market, 23.5% of U.S. companies have replaced workers with ChatGPT, automating roles in many industries. Employers see AI as a cost-effective alternative, reducing the need for junior hires in favor of bot efficiency. AI advancements could automate the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs worldwide, affecting sectors from technology and finance to marketing and customer service.
According to certain forecasts, AI could eliminate 56% of entry-level jobs within the next five years, making it even harder for juniors to gain the experience they need to move up the career ladder.
AI Cuts Junior Hiring, But at What Cost?
Even when AI doesn’t directly replace junior jobs, it reduces the need for hiring them. Companies are investing in AI tools that enhance senior employees’ productivity, reducing the demand for entry-level talent. As some indisutry experts point out, “In the short term, AI is unlikely to replace the seniors. But it’s likely to boost their productivity enough so they don’t need to hire juniors.”
Mor Segal, VP R&D at Five Sigma, an Insurtech startup, says “AI can already perform most junior-level tasks well. Accordingly, our hiring focus has shifted. We no longer focus on recruiting juniors, as the time and resources invested in training them is significant and hard to justify. Instead, we prioritize experienced professionals who have hands-on expertise – they know how code works, what problems to look out for, and the nuances of reviewing code. In the past, they reviewed code written by juniors, and now they refine AI-generated outputs.”
This shift poses a serious challenge: if companies rely on AI and experienced professionals without bringing in new talent, the workforce could face a long-term or delayed talent shortage, lacking the next generation of mid-level and senior employees.
How Can Juniors Still Find a Job?
AI eliminates many junior positions and shifts the skills required for job hunt success and professional advancement. Junior professionals can no longer rely on traditional career paths – they must adapt, reskill or upskill, and find ways to work alongside AI rather than be replaced by it.
If AI has replaced your job or is about to, why not learn AI yourself? Instead of competing against automation, leverage AI skills to get a different type of work and stay ahead. The job market is evolving and those who adapt will find new opportunities.
1. Learn AI Skills
AI is replacing entry-level jobs, but it’s also creating new opportunities – especially for those who know how to work with it. The World Economic Forum predicts that AI could replace 92 million jobs but also create 170 million new ones, meaning the workforce isn’t disappearing – it’s evolving. The key to staying relevant as a junior tech professional is to learn AI skills instead of competing against AI. Companies are prioritizing candidates who understand how to use AI to enhance their work, or to automate others’ work. Entry-level professionals who know how to automate tasks, generate AI insights, and use AI tools in their own work will have a major advantage. Skills like prompt engineering, machine learning basics, AI-assisted coding, and data analytics are in high demand.
Even in non-technical fields, AI knowledge can make a huge difference – a marketing junior who can use AI for content generation and ad targeting is far more valuable than someone who cannot.
The best part? You don’t need a Computer Science degree to learn and use AI. There are plenty of AI courses out there tailored for beginners and professionals alike. Whether you’re in tech, business, or creative fields, investing time in your AI education can prolong your career and ensure you have options as AI transforms industries.
2. Reskill and Upskill for the Future
No industry is immune to AI disruption – it’s transforming almost every field. That means instead of resisting change, adapting is the only way forward.
If you’re struggling to find a junior role or your job is at risk, reskilling to a tech career could be a good move – but only if you learn how to work with AI. Fields like Data Analysis, DevOps, Data Science and UX/UI Design are still growing rapidly, with AI automating many tasks, yet professionals are still needed. Companies still need skilled professionals to generate outputs (sometimes with AI), interpret AI-generated insights, validate and refine AI outputs, and apply human creativity and common sense in UX/UI decisions. They need juniors who understand AI, know how to use it, and can complement its capabilities. The most valuable professionals will be those who embrace AI, learn how to integrate it into their work, and develop expertise in areas where human judgment is still essential.
Months-long training programs and bootcamps can help you transition into these in-demand jobs without requiring a traditional degree.
Beyond reskilling, upskilling is just as crucial – especially if you want to stay ahead in your current job rather than switch careers. You can enhance your existing knowledge with AI tools, automation techniques, cloud computing, or cybersecurity skills to make yourself more valuable. Employers are actively seeking professionals who proactively improve their skills, and many companies are even offering internal upskilling courses to help their workforce keep up with AI advancements. Continuous learning and adaptation are key to surviving and thriving in the AI era.
3. Develop Soft Skills that AI Can’t Replace Yet
AI excels at automation, data processing, and pattern recognition, but it lacks the uniquely human qualities that drive collaboration and leadership. Skills like teamwork, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and even humor are difficult for AI to fully replicate. No matter how advanced technology becomes, companies will always need people who can think strategically, manage relationships, and make nuanced decisions that AI alone would not be as good at.
4. Freelance
If you can’t land a traditional job, that doesn’t mean you can’t make a living from your talent. Offer your skills as services to companies that haven’t fully adopted AI and need what you bring to the table. Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr offer opportunities for freelancers to find clients and build experience while staying independent. Instead of waiting for a company to hire you, show them why they need you – offer your skills, creativity, and expertise.
It’s a Phase
And now, you might be wondering – if AI can do the repetitive work and seniors can handle complex tasks, why would a company still hire a junior instead of just relying on AI and experienced professionals? Right now, we’re in a phase of disruption, and while AI is replacing entry-level jobs, this won’t last forever.
Seniors don’t have the time or the desire to handle junior-level work, even if AI assists them. AI will excel at certain tasks but will also prove suboptimal for others, creating gaps that need to be filled by human talent. As industries adjust, juniors will find new ways to contribute, shifting toward roles that require AI oversight and strategic thinking.
Companies can’t ignore succession planning. Eventually, the seniors of today will move on, and businesses will need trained professionals ready to step up. Even if training takes longer, juniors will transition into more meaningful jobs that align with AI-driven workflows. And as AI continues improving, it won’t just replace juniors – it will also automate senior roles, allowing juniors to evolve into AI-assisted senior professionals over time.
Wawiwa’s Tech Reskilling and Upskilling Programs
Wawiwa is a global tech education provider, offering AI-proof reskilling and upskilling programs tailored to the latest industry trends.
We do not only teach AI, but we also breathe AI. We incorporate AI everywhere we can – into all our training offerings, teaching methodology, and internal processes and operations – to keep up with industry trends and improve our own productivity.
Wawiwa reskills individuals with no prior tech background to high-demand professions such as Full-Stack Developer, Data Analyst, and DevOps Specialist in just 6–9 months. As part of the program, students complete a “Bring It Together” (BIT) project that showcases the skills they have acquired. This hands-on project serves as a portfolio piece they can present to potential employers, making them job-ready from day one after graduation. This is especially crucial in a job market where AI is replacing many junior roles, making it harder for newcomers to gain practical experience. By completing a real-world project and learning how to work alongside AI, Wawiwa graduates stand out to employers as skilled professionals ready to contribute from day one.
In addition to reskilling programs, Wawiwa offers upskilling courses designed for professionals looking to enhance their existing expertise. These courses focus on fields like Artificial Intelligence, Software Development, Cybersecurity, and Data Analysis, equipping participants with cutting-edge knowledge and tools to stay ahead in their careers.
By combining practical experience, industry-aligned training, and AI skills, Wawiwa ensures that graduates are gaining the knowledge and experience that employers seek.
