Being a recent graduate mobile/web developer on the job hunt, I've been going through countless job postings on LinkedIn and Indeed these past few months. Something that hit me as really odd is that no company is looking for a junior developer(web or mobile). Everyone wants a senior developer or a "junior" developer with 1-3 years of experience. So, essentially no company is willing to invest in the onboarding and training of a fresh graduate.

Now this intrigued me and I couldn't help but question the logic behind it. If companies aren't hiring junior professionals, how do they anticipate hiring senior ones in the future? Not the best long-term plan, won't you agree?

So, considering my current predicament, I believe I'm perfectly placed to write a few convincing words for the sake of my own as well as the career of my talented junior colleagues.

Here are 5 reasons why you should go with a junior developer as your new hire:

1. Quick learning asset

   A junior developer straight out of school is used to learning technologies on short notice and building usable products with these technologies.

   

   As part of my program, in under 16 months, I worked with mobile development technologies like SwiftUI, Kotlin, React Native, .NET MAUI and Flutter as well as web development technologies like Javascript and React. We were taught to work in teams, follow Agile methodology and work in weekly sprints.

   Suffice it to say that a junior developer comes with a demonstrated experience of being a quick learner and a team player.

2. Malleable and adaptable

   Funny that the word malleable reminds me of gold and I believe junior developers are not unlike a precious resource for a company. We are flexible, hardworking and easy to work with.

   We don't have comfort zones.

   

   We will work with native, cross-platform or both. Strongly typed or loosely typed, React or Angular, Swift or Kotlin, you won't find us complaining or reluctant to explore new technologies.

3. Hungry to learn

   I just can't emphasize this point enough. It's most likely our first tech job and we want to learn loads of stuff very very quickly and climb up the career ladder.

   

   We understand that we are building the very foundation of our career and our performance in our first job is going to decide how our career is launched. We are eager to learn and will take any opportunity to advance our skills.

4. Long-term Investment with high ROR

   The banker in me always tries to get his word in, so here goes. Everyone is in it for gaining "something", even if that "something" is non-tangible (satisfaction, happiness, etc). So, why should your company, especially if it is small/medium sized, bear the burden of training a junior developer who'll most likely leave in 2 years for a better paying role?

   The answer is simple, a senior developer will also leave if underpaid or under-appreciated so why won't a junior? Start rewarding your employees as they start taking on more work and they'll stay with your company long enough to add value.

   

   It's a mutual agreement and as long as both sides are giving their best, I see no reason why your investment or mine shouldn't be a multi-bagger.

5. Unique perspective:

   Finally, in my group of over 30 developers, over 90% were previously employed and were looking for a complete or partial career change. This included me, with 6 years of experience in one of the largest banks of India. So, most junior developers may seem junior in the current industry but they bring an outside perspective that's immensely valuable.

   For instance, I was a problem-solver way before I started coding just as I knew how to handle clients and handle supervisory roles. Drawing from these past experiences, as a junior developer, I can seamlessly integrate into a team and contribute effortlessly. Likewise, I'm a self-starter who doesn't require constant direction but actively seeks out tasks and responsibilities.

Still not convinced?

Here are a few more arguments, junior developers cost lesser, start adding value to the company pretty quickly, will always have a sense of gratitude for their first company, will give their 110% (thanks to their desire to impress) and want to make their mark and hence are willing to grind.

I believe we add a touch of freshness to the atmosphere and help boost the morale with our curiosity and drive. Think of us as assets, not liabilities or else you'll find yourself looking to hire us 3-5 years down the line at a much higher premium.

Happy Hiring!