Why companies should still hire junior developers in the AI era
4 days ago
- #junior-to-senior-growth
- #AI-in-software-development
- #technical-debt
- AI can accelerate the journey from junior to senior developer if used correctly, but skipping foundational learning leads to poor understanding and technical debt.
- The hardest part of software development is deciding what to build and understanding why, not just typing code—AI doesn't replace this critical thinking.
- There are two types of knowledge: teachable (syntax, patterns) and earned (experience, intuition). AI can compress teachable knowledge but cannot shortcut earned knowledge.
- Vibe coding—relying on AI without understanding—results in fragile systems that can't be debugged, extended, or taught.
- A staged approach to AI usage is recommended: start with manual coding and AI as a reviewer, then gradually increase AI's role as understanding deepens.
- Engineering leaders should continue hiring juniors and invest in their foundational learning, as AI-augmented juniors can ramp up faster but still need mentorship.
- Teams should enforce 'explain this to me' in code reviews, pair juniors with seniors, and document reasoning to avoid knowledge silos and technical debt.
- The THINK-BUILD-VERIFY loop ensures human-led problem definition, AI-assisted building, and human-owned verification for sustainable development.
- AI is a power tool that makes undisciplined developers obsolete but amplifies those who build strong mental models and leverage AI thoughtfully.
- The goal is not to use AI less but to think more—focusing on solving hard problems, making sound decisions, and building lasting systems.