Intense competition among juniors, AI taking over jobs, and ongoing crises – why these shouldn’t deter you if you’ve decided that IT is your path, and how hard work and self-belief aren’t just Disney thinking.

In the comments on my previous post about career lessons, many people recognized themselves. However, there were also some reasonable concerns from other experienced developers who had tough experiences on their way. I want to address these and some other concerns that I’ve encountered from people starting a new path as IT specialists.

On Competition

The first concern is the high level of competition. Yes, there are many juniors, and there always have been more candidates than job openings! I was rejected from jobs 100 times more than I was accepted. This is normal and expected. However, what’s truly lacking are adequate people. There’s a global crisis of adequate people. If you can realistically assess your skills and abilities, are willing to learn, and don’t give up, you will find your place in any profession and location. The key is consistency and a willingness to learn. If you don’t get the job but learn from the experience, you improve and increase your chances for successful interviews in the future.

Don’t chase money. While working for free isn’t ideal, if you have an internship with the potential for a job or can stretch your current savings or work part-time, it’s worth trying. Even if you don’t land the job, it’s still valuable experience. Use it wisely to increase your chances.

My first job in test automation paid around $300 a month. This was much less than my previous income from web development, and I searched for it for six months, facing rejections and being ignored along the way. However, I got an offer for my next testing job in just three days, and my earnings nearly quadrupled. This isn’t a universal "success" formula, but sometimes, when you’re on the right path, such things happen.

Yes, competition is high, but adequate people who can learn, adapt, and stay positive will always find their place in the market. Don’t fear rejections – use them as opportunities for growth and to increase your chances of future success.

AI is Your Friend, Not Your Enemy

I understand the concerns about AI in programming, especially from those who haven’t used it. Headlines might make it seem like AI will soon replace everyone. Artists are already being replaced, and coders are next (haha).

Seriously, the most significant change with AI in programming in the near future is that it will become a standard part of the workspace. For example, officially provided by employers, in code editors, and with paid access to services like ChatGPT. This won’t reduce the number of jobs, but being able to work with AI can become a competitive advantage.

As a junior or potential junior, AI can be a great mentor at the beginning. It can guide you on starting projects from scratch, what to do when stuck, help write code, and debug errors. For beginners, if used correctly, AI can accelerate learning tenfold; for experienced developers, it can boost productivity tenfold. Of course, you can’t rely on it 100%, but over time, AI becomes smarter, less buggy, and more useful. I speak from experience. When GitHub released the Copilot beta, even before ChatGPT, I used it. When ChatGPT-3 appeared, I was among the first users. What the latest version, ChatGPT-4o, can do today is astonishing. The key is to communicate with it correctly, and if you lack experience, verify what it provides. Use traditional search and even a second opinion from another AI, like using ChatGPT as the main tool and verifying with Perplexity.ai.

If you’re stuck, don’t know what to do next, and don’t want or can’t talk to real people, AI is your best friend.

What About the Crisis?

When wasn’t there a crisis? There were a few relatively calm years, especially in IT, but that’s over. Overall, crises are beyond your control. What can you do? Focus on what you can change – your life and profession if that’s what you desire.

Many companies hired extensively during the Covid, now, mass layoffs are happening. But there was a shortage in skilled professionals, is it changed globally? No. There's still a significant deficit of skilled professionals, particularly those who are truly capable. Businesses are finding it hard to fill positions with qualified individuals. This shortage of adequate talent means that those who can learn, adapt, and stay positive are in high demand. There are still plenty of opportunities for those who are ready to work hard and develop their skills. Learn, gain experience, go to interviews, and seize opportunities. This isn’t Disney thinking – it’s a principle of development in life. You either develop, improve, and find your place, or give up, make excuses, and change nothing.

If it takes four years to change your profession, what would be better for you – achieving the life you want in four years or remaining the same person in four years, having done nothing? This is life, and you need to take control where you can and not worry about what you can’t influence.

A Little Life Example

If you don't speak russian, the message on the screenshot is from my friend Vlad (name changed), and in this message, Vlad shares with me the joy of successfully completing his probation period at his first job in IT.

Vlad started exploring what he could do in IT just over two years before I received his message in February 2024. Vlad chose a direction and persistently pursued it. Sometimes he doubted himself, sometimes he worried about failing, but advice and words of support from someone who had been through it helped him not give up and keep going.

He studied, went to interviews, faced rejections or was ignored. He learned from this experience and got better until he finally became the person for the job he got. Is this a happy ending? Oh no, it’s the beginning of a new stage, new challenges, and a new path. Only now, Vlad is learning not between shifts at a factory (this is not a figure of speech), but at the job he dreamed of – a Java backend developer in a major enterprise. I don’t know how he knew this was his calling from the start and not frontend like I might have suggested, but that only increases my respect and pride for him.

I, too, tried to get entry-level positions many times and was often rejected. I kept learning until I started getting positions slightly above entry-level. In some ways, it’s even easier for you today – you have AI. AI has concentrated experience and can greatly assist you, providing guidance if you ask the right questions.

Don’t fear competition, AI, or the crisis. The main thing is to be adequate, learn, and not give up. There’s always a place in the world for those willing to work hard and develop.