Is the IT Industry Closing Doors to Juniors?
Is a junior developer today an investment — or just a cost and a risk?
In this episode of On The Edge by E1S, we tackle a topic that’s becoming increasingly relevant in today’s IT market — affecting both businesses and early-career developers.
- Are companies really afraid to hire junior developers?
- What makes investing in juniors challenging today?
- Which skills actually increase a junior’s chances of getting hired?
- How can companies effectively support junior talent entering the market?
- How to build teams where juniors can ramp up quickly?
- What should junior recruitment look like in 2026?
Episode guests:
- Piotr Orłowski, CTO at InPost
- Magdalena Szymoniuk, New Business Development Director at Edge One Solutions
Managing a team, hiring developers, or wondering if entering IT still makes sense? This episode gives you a clear, business-focused answer.
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Why Is Entering IT Harder Than It Used to Be?
Just a few years ago, starting a career in IT seemed relatively straightforward. Basic technical skills, a few personal projects, and a well-prepared CV were often enough to land a first job.
Today, the situation looks very different. Junior-level offers are limited, hiring processes are longer, and companies increasingly look for candidates who can contribute immediately.
As a result, many early-career developers are asking a critical question: is there still space for them in IT?
This is not only a challenge for candidates. It’s also a strategic issue for CTOs, engineering leaders, and companies thinking about long-term team scalability.
Why Are Companies Hiring Fewer Juniors?
From a business perspective, the issue goes beyond skills. Companies operate under constant pressure to deliver fast, stay within budget, and reduce risk.
They need to:
- deliver projects quickly,
- control costs,
- minimize risk.
Hiring a junior developer often means:
- onboarding time,
- senior team members’ involvement,
- a slower start in delivery.
There’s also another key issue: a lack of structured onboarding strategies. Many organizations simply don’t have a clear process to turn a junior into a productive team member.
The result? Juniors are often left out of hiring conversations.
Did AI Replace Junior Developers?
The challenges around hiring juniors started before AI tools became part of everyday development workflows. AI didn’t create the problem — but it has definitely accelerated and exposed it.
On one hand, automation is changing how developers work. On the other, it can be a powerful enabler for juniors — helping them learn faster, become more independent, and build solutions more efficiently.
The real issue isn’t that AI replaces junior developers. It’s that many organizations don’t yet know how to combine junior growth with this new way of working.
Why Is This a Business Problem?
No investment in juniors today = no senior talent tomorrow.
If companies focus only on experienced hires, they may face serious challenges in the future:
- limited talent availability,
- higher hiring costs,
- reduced team scalability.
Juniors are not just a short-term cost. They are a source of future capabilities within the organization.
What Value Do Juniors Bring to a Team?
One of the biggest mistakes is evaluating junior developers only through the lens of what they lack. In reality, well-selected juniors bring unique value that experience alone cannot replace.
- fast learning ability,
- high energy and motivation,
- willingness to experiment,
- fresh perspective on products and users,
- familiarity with new tools and trends.
For companies building digital products, this translates directly into business value.
What Helps Juniors Get Hired Today?
There’s no single skill that guarantees a job. But some areas clearly increase a junior developer’s chances.
- Self-learning ability
The ability to quickly find solutions, ask the right questions, and use available tools effectively is critical. - Focused expertise
Strong knowledge in one area is more valuable than shallow knowledge of everything. - Soft skills
Communication, openness to feedback, and collaboration significantly impact team performance. - Business understanding
Developers who understand the product and user needs become valuable contributors much faster.
How to Successfully Onboard Juniors?
The biggest mistake: no onboarding strategy.
What actually works:
- treating juniors as long-term investments,
- creating structured onboarding plans,
- gradually increasing task complexity,
- building mixed teams (Senior + Junior),
- tracking and showing progress,
- involving juniors in real projects early.
What Should Junior Recruitment Look Like?
Traditional interviews are no longer enough. Companies should move beyond checking theoretical knowledge and focus on real-world performance.
What works best today:
- practical tasks,
- hackathons,
- internships and project-based collaboration,
- GitHub and real-world projects,
- observing problem-solving and feedback response.
When hiring juniors, it’s not just about what they know — it’s about how they learn, adapt, and grow.
Is It Still Worth Getting Into IT?
Yes — but for different reasons than before.
No, if your only motivation is money — the market is more demanding, competitive, and less forgiving.
Yes, if you’re driven by curiosity and growth — IT is still one of the best paths for long-term development.
The industry isn’t closing doors. It’s simply raising the bar.
Summary
Companies focused only on short-term results may see juniors as a cost and a risk. Organizations thinking long-term see them as an investment in future capabilities, team sustainability, and competitive advantage.
Junior developers are not a problem to solve. They are potential — if managed correctly.
