Have Expectations for Junior Developers Changed Recently?

From my experience as a recruiter, the landscape has changed quite a bit. There’s more competition now due to fewer companies willing to invest in training and mentoring juniors. They expect entry-level folks to already have an understanding of key skills, especially since AI is taking over many entry-level tasks. I suggest building a strong portfolio, tailoring your resume to job listings, and networking actively—it can make all the difference!

Yes, today’s junior developers are often expected to have much broader skill sets than those entering the job market a few years ago, mainly due to the rise of AI and specific tech demands. Companies seem to want specialists who can hit the ground running, which makes it essential for you to showcase your ability to adapt and learn quickly through projects.

Employers generally have lower expectations for how well you know specific technologies. Instead, they prioritize your ability to communicate effectively and tackle coding challenges, like those leetcode questions. A degree still carries some weight, especially when the job market is tight.

Being a strong backend developer can be more valuable than being a mediocre fullstack developer. Given your design background, have you considered going for frontend positions instead?

Just keep working on that notebook app! Employers appreciate passion and commitment to learning, so focus on mastering Spring and Hibernate gradually. As long as you demonstrate solid skills and a willingness to learn, you'll get noticed!