We got an email from a CS recent grad named Ena that stopped me in my tracks. They'd read our recent piece about the tech job market showing positive signs and asked the question every new grad is thinking: "What about us? Are there signs that hiring for junior roles is also improving? What strategies help new grads break through when experience is a catch-22?"
It's exactly the question the industry needs to grapple with, because while experienced professionals are seeing genuine opportunities, the entry-level picture tells a much different story. And new grads like Ena deserve an honest answer—both about the challenges they're facing and the real pathways forward.
Summary
The Numbers Are Tough, But Not Hopeless
Let me start with the data you're probably feeling in your bones. While total tech job postings grew 7% in the first half of 2025, entry-level positions (0-2 years experience) declined 3%. Meanwhile, roles for professionals with 10+ years of experience surged 17%. The unemployment rate for 20-24 year olds sits at 8.2%—double the national average.
Companies are playing it safe, prioritizing senior talent who can deliver immediate value in an uncertain economy. That experience catch-22 you're feeling? It's real, and it's been real for a while now.
However, there are some encouraging signs to look at too. According to CompTIA's 2025 State of Tech Jobs report, several trends are creating genuine opportunities for new grads who know where to look.
The AI Entry Point Is Real
One thing CompTIA identified is that 35% of AI-related hiring is for positions requiring 0-3 years of experience. We're talking about nearly 125,000 active job postings requiring AI skills right now. This shows AI as a massive entry point where your lack of "legacy" experience might actually help you.
While experienced developers are trying to retrofit AI skills onto existing knowledge, you can learn these capabilities around the skills needed today. Companies need people who understand both the potential and limitations of AI tools, and fresh perspectives are incredibly valuable here.
Growth Is Happening in Specific Areas
There is also more opportunity if you're strategic about where you focus:
Data Science and Machine Learning roles are projected to grow 4.0% in 2025—that's 2.6 times the national growth rate. This category saw a 414% increase in job postings from 2015 to 2025.
Software Development is growing 3.8% in 2025, 2.5 times the national rate, with a 297% increase in postings over the last decade.
Cybersecurity and IT Project Management roles are expanding 2.7% in 2025, 1.7 times the national rate.
Even IT Support Specialists—often overlooked—need 49,073 annual replacement hires just to offset retirements. These roles provide steady entry points and stepping stones to everything else.
The Strategies That Work
If you're going to break through, try some of the following things:
Target growing industries, not just tech companies. Insurance saw 26% month-over-month growth in tech job postings in June, and telecommunications jumped 82% year-over-year. A junior developer role at an insurance company might not sound as exciting as a startup, but it's real experience that counts.
Get certified strategically. Vendor-neutral certifications like CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ give you concrete ways to demonstrate foundational skills without years of experience. For AI specifically, certifications like CompTIA AI Essentials can help you stand out.
Think "tech-adjacent." The line between core tech roles and tech-adjacent digital work is blurring as every business function becomes tech-enabled. Your skills are valuable in more places than just traditional tech companies.
Set realistic salary expectations. The 10th percentile wage for tech occupations nationally is $55,645—that's a solid starting point that's well above many other fields, even at the entry level.
What It Really Feels Like
We asked Ena to comment on what it feels like to be a recent CS grad in this job market. This is what they said:
"After a career in legal work, I went back to school later in life to finish my CS degree. I genuinely enjoy tech and believed it was a smart, stable, more prosperous path than my current one. I started my degree before ChatGPT premiered. I then earned my degree in 2024, after AI began reshaping the industry. Breaking into the field has been far harder than I imagined. I don't have the traditional experience companies look for, and that makes it difficult to get traction, even for roles labeled as entry-level. The move away from traditional search and interview processes, and toward ATS-driven screening, has only added to the barriers for people like me who don't fit a perfect template."
Ena’s experience reflects what many of you are feeling—that the rules changed while you were learning them. The rise of AI, the shift to algorithmic screening, the emphasis on "years of experience" for supposedly entry-level roles. It's frustrating, and that frustration is completely valid.
Don't Give Up
The market is tough right now, but it's not hopeless. Companies can't ignore junior talent forever—someone has to become the next generation of senior developers. The organizations that invest in early-career professionals now, especially in AI, data science, and foundational IT roles, will have a significant advantage as these markets continue expanding.
Keep building, keep learning, and keep pushing forward. Your persistence will pay off.
Ena, thanks for the inspiration for this piece, and best of luck with your job search. You're asking all the right questions, and that strategic thinking will serve you well.