📉 Where are the Entry-level jobs going?

Hey everybody,

Entry-level jobs are disappearing at an alarming rate, developers are pushing back against flawed interview processes, and AI coding tools are creating new challenges for collaboration.

We also look at a concerning case study of AI-generated security code that highlights the risks of rushing critical infrastructure to market.

Let’s dive in!

Quick Links

📉 Where are the Entry-level jobs going?
New data from SignalFire's Beacon AI platform reveals a stark reality for entry-level tech workers, with positions dropping 50% at Big Tech companies and 30% at startups compared to pre-pandemic levels. The decline accelerated from 2023 to 2024, with Big Tech cutting entry-level roles by nearly 25% and startups by over 10%. The findings highlight an ongoing structural shift in tech hiring that continues to impact new graduates and career changers seeking industry entry. This article breaks down the trend and what you can do to tackle it.

📝 Stop scheduling status update “check-ins”
56% of workers say scheduling a meeting is the only way to get information. With Jira, use AI to automatically add work from Slack, create subtasks, or attach relevant resources. So instead of scheduling a meeting, check the status in Jira. Easy. [ad]

👨‍💻 Why Leetcode Style Interview Tests Are Bullshit
A software developer with 20+ years of experience completed three LeetCode-style interview tests in just 39 minutes, only to be accused of cheating by the company's VP of Engineering. Despite monitoring tools detecting no evidence of cheating and the developer offering to retake the tests while being watched, the VP refused to accept the results. The incident highlights fundamental flaws in how companies rely on these coding assessments, particularly when hiring managers aren't skilled enough at the tests themselves to recognize legitimate expertise.

🤖 Why agents are bad pair programmers
A developer explores the pitfalls of pairing with AI coding agents, comparing the experience to working with overly fast human programmers who code in silence and leave their partners behind. The author argues that LLM agents' lightning speed undermines true collaboration, leading to disengagement and loss of code comprehension. Instead of real-time agent pairing, they recommend breaking work into discrete components for asynchronous review or using slower, turn-based AI editing modes. The piece calls for AI tools to introduce human-like pacing, regular pauses for discussion, and features that treat developers as equal partners rather than passive observers.

☁️ A look at CloudFlare’s AI-coded OAuth library
An OAuth security expert examines Cloudflare's new OAuth provider library, which was largely coded using Anthropic's Claude AI, and finds several concerning security issues despite claims of thorough review. The analysis reveals problems including "YOLO CORS" settings that disable same-origin policy, incorrect Basic auth implementation, biased token generation, and inadequate testing for a critical authentication service.

While impressed by some aspects of the LLM-generated code, the expert argues that OAuth implementation is too complex and security-critical for AI assistance without deep domain expertise. The review highlights the gap between AI coding capabilities and the rigorous security standards required for authentication systems.

More Reading

• Bruteforcing the phone number of any Google user.

• The Art of SQL Query Optimization.

• Software is About Promises.

• Field Notes From Shipping Real Code With Claude.

• Knowledge Management in the Age of AI.

• What was Radiant AI, anyway?

I’ve Changed My Thinking On Self-Taught Development (...a bit)

Looking back recently at some of the struggles I've faced in the past as a self-taught developer, I think I've pinpointed a few things that would have helped.

In this video, we'll talk about learning Rust, what that has uncovered about my own skillset, and why I think any self-taught developer's second language or further learning should go the way of a lower-level language and the deeper concepts it will teach you.

I'll also explain why those languages are NOT C or C++.

Until next week,

Travis.