1/20/25 - No Take, Only Throw: The Plight of Junior Engineers
I’ve been thinking a lot about the Junior Engineering ecosystem lately and how sad the landscape has become. I was once a Junior Engineer who shopped myself to more than 40 companies in Columbus before I finally got a 10-hour/week contract as a freelancer with a small digital agency (thanks, Greencrest, for taking a chance).
Now, nearly 15 years later, finding a job as a Junior Engineer is even more difficult. I have friends who have gone through developer bootcamps, only to find that there isn’t a job on the other side. Even worse, you have companies like Meta saying they will replace mid-level (and I assume junior-level) engineers with AI.
“No take, only throw” is a solid meme that really encapsulates how companies are missing out on the opportunity of junior engineers. We want better talent! But, we don’t want to foster it by hiring juniors.
Meta is doubling down on that statement by reducing its 7k workforce by 5% this year. Companies looking for lower-cost options are aiming toward Latin America, Europe, and Canada. How can newly minted software engineers compete?
We need a mindset shift as an industry. After all, junior engineers become mid-levels, seniors, and so on. Two companies I admired for how they approached creating their own talent were CoverMyMeds and Branch here in Columbus. Both created their own bootcamps where, as a junior engineer, you would come in and learn how to write software at that company. They were willing to take the initial hit of coaching and mentoring junior engineers to drive the results they needed.
The benefit? Engineers that are more loyal, more engaged, and better prepared for the sort of work your company produces. Not to mention, mid-levels need reps at mentoring as well. You need the full engineering spectrum to get the most out of your engineers, and I fear we’re veering far away from that world.
It’s sad that we’ve gotten away from this as a broader industry, and it makes it a bleak world for new engineers to enter. There’s a lot that needs to change across tech for this landscape to improve, but I was thinking about the advice I would give myself 15 years ago in this environment.
Some thoughts…
First, prepare to underbid yourself. Companies are looking at cheaper options like AI or offshore solutions. When I started, I applied for around 40 positions and was repeatedly told that I was too junior. The only offer I got was $20/hr for 10 hours a week. It was not ideal, but it got my foot in the door. You can always renegotiate your contract after you’ve consistently delivered solid work.
Expect challenges and be ready to learn on the job. One of my first projects was a WordPress site that crashed multiple times. Because I was learning on the go, the hours billed were less than the hours worked. Underbidding yourself might not feel great or pay well initially, but it's about building your resume and moving beyond junior status.
Consider platforms like Fiverr or Upwork where you can gain experience, even if it means working for $1 an hour initially. Exposure and experience are invaluable. Are you underselling? Absolutely. Is it sustainable? No. The biggest complaint I heard when I was a junior was that I was too junior. Getting some projects under your belt will help build out your resume and prove you have what it takes to see a project through.
Contribute to open-source projects. These projects often have issues you can tackle, helping you understand workflows and processes while pushing your boundaries. If you’re not sure where to start, “Good First Issues” can point you at projects with low-hanging fruit to get you started.
Personal projects matter too. They show how you think and solve problems. Don't just fork repos; build something from scratch, even if it's simple or niche like a D&D AI agent for random encounters. Personal projects help you break down work into chunks and execute them—skills that are increasingly important as engineers take on more product management roles. More thoughts here: What I Love About the Engineering Graveyard (and Why You Should Mention It When Interviewing)
Lastly, get involved in your local dev community through Slack channels, Discord, startup weekends, or GiveBackHack events. Networking is crucial—find mentors locally or globally who can share their experiences and guidance.
Pound the pavement, talk to folks, and keep pushing forward. Hopefully, this advice will help you navigate these challenging times as a new engineer. In the meantime, if you’re a junior engineer struggling to find a role, feel free to reach out! No, I’m not selling a service, I truly want to do what I can to help folks break into the tech industry.
In my future roles, I will aim to carry this forward, insisting on leaving space in the budget to ensure we have an active junior pipeline. This pipeline is critical to our industry, and it’s our responsibility to keep the next generation engaged.
You can also ask questions at askhartley.com
Now, on with some links I found interesting from this last week (including Episode 4 of Ask Hartley Anything):
🌟 Leadership & Team Dynamics
How Leaders Can Instill Hope in Their Teams
An inspiring guide on how leaders can foster hope during challenging times, building resilience and motivation across their teams.
Finding Joy as a Manager, Even on Bad Days
Practical advice for rediscovering joy in leadership, even when the going gets tough. A great reminder to focus on purpose and small wins.
The Complicated Role of Hope in the Workplace
Research on how hope impacts workplace dynamics—offering valuable insights for leaders looking to balance optimism with realism.
🛠️ Culture & Decision-Making
A Values Engine to Transform Culture
A compelling framework for driving cultural change through clearly articulated and lived values. Essential reading for leaders shaping organizational identity.
How to Make Effective Decisions by Comparing Alternatives
A simple yet powerful method for decision-making that helps avoid analysis paralysis and leads to better outcomes for your teams.
The Case for the Ambidextrous CIO
Why today’s leaders need to balance operational excellence with strategic innovation—and how to do both without dropping the ball.
🤖 Innovation & Hiring Trends
Building Tiny Viral Apps
I love this take on forgetting about the long-term and building silly little apps to learn something. It’s a great look at how simple, focused apps can go viral—and what leaders can learn about product design from their success.
Why No One Wants to Hire Junior Engineers
A candid discussion on the challenges of hiring and mentoring junior engineers, with takeaways for improving hiring processes.
Most Engineering Hiring Processes Are Broken
This piece explores how hiring practices fall short and offers actionable steps to create more inclusive, effective pipelines.
🗞️ Trending Topics
Meta Targets Lowest-Performing Employees in Latest Layoffs
A sobering look at how performance reviews are being weaponized during layoffs. Leaders should reflect on how performance metrics impact morale and trust.
Mammoth Rebirth: Closer in 2025
While not directly related to engineering leadership, the woolly mammoth's return is a testament to bold innovation. It reminds us to dream big and embrace the unknown. It also could mark a weird time in science where we adjust ecosystems by re-introducing extinct animals only to see them go extinct again. Dystopia much?
Have questions? Let me know in the comments!