When Eddie Hart graduated in computer science and cybersecurity from Newcastle University in 2024, he expected a challenge finding work but not a wall.
Even “junior” roles, he says, often demanded two or more years of professional experience. “It’s not realistic, and it just discourages good candidates,” Hart notes.
He believes artificial intelligence has upended the path for young coders. Tasks that once helped graduates gain experience are increasingly automated, shrinking opportunities for beginners.
A new report by the UK’s National Foundation for Education Research found a 50% drop in tech job adverts between 2019/20 and 2024/25, with entry-level roles hardest hit. The report directly linked the decline to the “anticipated impact of artificial intelligence.”
Despite this, developers themselves are leaning heavily on AI. Research from Stack Overflow shows nearly half use AI coding tools daily, though only a third trust their results.
“It’s a tricky time to graduate,” says Stack Overflow CEO Prashanth Chandrasekar, who notes that many workers are clinging to jobs out of caution, further limiting openings for newcomers.
The rise of AI in recruitment adds to the strain. Hart recalls an eight-stage, heavily automated process that began with 20 test-style questions, later requiring friends to record video responses reviewed by AI. “It just feels like you don’t even get the respect of being rejected by a human,” he says.
Colin, another 2024 computer science graduate, says even smaller firms use AI screening. After months of applications and interviews, he was repeatedly told “no,” often by recruiters who hadn’t read his CV. Disillusioned, he is now considering a career in policing.
Industry leaders are split. Paul Dix, CTO of InfluxData, warns that freezing out junior developers threatens the future. “If nobody’s hiring younger developers, you won’t have senior developers either you’ve killed your pipeline,” he says.
But Rajiv Ramaswami, CEO of cloud firm Nutanix, argues graduates now have unique skills. “Some younger folks actually have more experience with AI tools than traditional programming,” he says, calling the current talent pool the strongest in years.
The debate echoes past tech disruptions. Chandrasekar believes jobs will rebound as new challenges emerge: “There’s going to be an insatiable appetite for technologists. But that spike may not come in time for today’s graduates.”
For Hart, there was a brighter ending: he secured a role as a security engineer with UK-based cybersecurity firm Threatspike, through what he calls “a very human process.”
