Software Development Careers in 2025

I’ve been thinking long and hard about how to best help my students as they near their graduation. Of course, I love teaching the details of computer programming. But in today’s world, the challenges new grads face in getting jobs is a real concern. I know that it requires perseverance. But it also requires some kind of strategy, and I want to give my students some ideas.

So, with AI being one of the forces contributing to the reduction of some junior developer jobs, it made some (weird sort of) sense to as AI what to do. I prompted ChatGPT with the following question.

Colleges and universities are producing computer programming graduates that need to compete for initial job positions in order to start their careers. Yet, the market appears to be one where it is harder and harder to find junior programming positions. Added to that are all the different ways AI is affecting the marketplace.

That raises a question. How can upcoming grads prepare themselves for their first job?

And here’s the response:

Quoting ChatGPT…

That’s an excellent — and very timely — question. You’re absolutely right: the entry-level programming job market has changed significantly in recent years. Automation, AI-assisted coding tools (like GitHub Copilot), and global competition have raised the bar for what “junior” developers are expected to know.

That said, there are concrete strategies upcoming grads can use to stand out and prepare effectively.

💡 1. Focus on Practical, Demonstrable Skills

Employers often care less about your degree title and more about what you can build.

• Portfolio projects: Create several solid, finished projects that show end-to-end understanding — from backend logic to deployment.
• Real-world relevance: Pick projects that solve actual problems (for example, a personal budgeting app with AI insights, or a small business dashboard).
• Show code quality: Use good structure, documentation, and testing. Hiring managers often look at GitHub for this.

🧠 2. Learn the Tools That Professionals Use

Go beyond what’s taught in school:

• Version control: Get fluent in Git and GitHub workflows (branches, pull requests, resolving conflicts).
• Cloud & deployment: Learn to deploy small projects using AWS, Azure, or Render/Netlify/Vercel.
• Containers & CI/CD: Even a basic understanding of Docker and GitHub Actions sets you apart.
• AI-assisted tools: Learn how to effectively use Copilot, ChatGPT, and other AI tools for productivity — they’re becoming expected skills.

🌍 3. Contribute to Open Source or Freelance

• Open Source: Contributing to projects on GitHub demonstrates collaboration, initiative, and practical experience.
• Freelancing / internships: Even small or unpaid short-term gigs give you something real to put on a résumé and talk about in interviews.

🧩 4. Strengthen Your Core Fundamentals

AI tools can autocomplete code, but they can’t replace deep understanding.

• Focus on data structures, algorithms, debugging, and design patterns.
• Learn one language deeply (e.g., Python, JavaScript, or Java), then broaden slightly.
• Build familiarity with software architecture — understanding how systems fit together makes you valuable beyond just “coding.”

🤝 5. Network Strategically

Many first jobs come from relationships, not job boards.

• LinkedIn: Post your projects, comment on industry posts, and reach out to alumni.
• Local meetups / hackathons: Great places to meet developers and potential employers.
• Mentorship: Seek guidance from professionals — even short conversations can open doors or reveal what skills companies value.

📚 6. Communicate & Think Like a Problem Solver

Employers look for developers who:

• Can explain their thinking clearly.
• Ask good questions.
• Understand business context and user needs — not just “what code to write.”

Practice explaining your projects and decisions as if to a non-technical audience. That’s a rare and valuable skill.

🚀 7. Keep Learning & Adapting

The tech field changes fast. The best early-career programmers:

• Stay curious.
• Learn new frameworks, but don’t chase every new trend.
• Reflect regularly: What did I build this month? What did I learn? What do I want to learn next?

In short: Upcoming grads can thrive by combining strong fundamentals, hands-on experience, and strategic networking. The first job is often the hardest to land, but once you have one, your opportunities grow exponentially.

Would you like me to give you a step-by-step 6-month plan for how a new grad could prepare for their first programming job (with learning goals, projects, and networking milestones)?

Conclusion

I hope that helps, and I wish you success in your journey!

About OpenAI

OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT is “an Al research and deployment company. OpenAl’s mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence—AI systems that are generally smarter than humans—benefits all of humanity.”