Job Platforms Are Mislabeling "Entry-Level" Software Jobs

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard someone say:

“How is this an entry-level job if it needs experience? Shouldn’t it be open to anyone starting out?”

If a job requires 1–3 years of experience, it’s not a new grad position—it’s what most companies would consider a mid-level role.

However, this confusion is not the fault of job seekers. It’s a problem with how job platforms like LinkedIn are categorizing roles.

Apply the “entry-level” filter on most job platforms and you’ll get flooded with postings that expect multiple years of experience.

So what’s actually going on? What is entry-level in software? And why are so many postings miscategorized?

What Does “Entry-Level” Mean in Software?

In software, “internships”, “new grad”, and “junior” positions are what should be considered “entry-level.”

Entry-level is supposed to mean a job you can apply straight out of university with no experience.

However, job platforms today seem to be throwing the semantic “entry-level” at anything in the spectrum of 0-5 years of experience, depending on the company, the role, whether they factor in internships, etc.

This is how you should see the seniority ladder in software:

Broadly speaking, the seniority levels and the expected years of experience you’ll see on job postings are:

• Intern / New Grad / Junior: 0–2 years
• Mid-Level / Intermediate: 1–5 years
• Senior: 5-10+ years

On a platform like LinkedIn, filtering for “entry-level” will just point you at anything below senior.

However, very obviously a job that requires 1–3 years of experience is not accesible to someone right out of university.

So Why Are Platforms Mislabeling Jobs?

Right now, true entry-level full-time software jobs are extremely rare, which likely confuses job platform search algorithms.

These algorithms are likely designed to show users something, even if that means surfacing roles that technically require experience but are “close enough.”

It’s also important to remember that platforms like LinkedIn are optimized for engagement. Showing more jobs, regardless of fit, keeps users scrolling.

Finally, these platforms serve all industries, not just tech. But “entry-level” means very different things in healthcare, finance, or education than it does in software. The result is a generic labeling system that doesn’t reflect the unique expectations of tech hiring.

This leads to two major problems: job seekers feel misled and frustrated, and companies are overwhelmed with applications from underqualified candidates.

Why Are There No Full-Time Junior Positions?

In the software industry, it’s common for companies to hire interns instead of junior full-time developers because internships are simply a lower-risk and more cost-effective way to fill those roles.

Hiring Interns Is Less Risky

Companies essentially use internships as a probationary period.

Unlike other industries, software interns aren’t “coffee-fetchers” or “paper-pushers.” They work on the same tickets, attend the same meetings, and ship the same code as full-time junior developers.

If an intern performs well, they can easily be converted into a full-time hire, often on the exact same team, doing the same work.

If they don’t work out, it’s as simple as not extending their contract.

Hiring a full-time employee, by contrast, is expensive and high-risk: Full-time hires come with benefits, stock options, and long-term costs. Letting them go involves HR processes, severance packages, and potential legal complications.

This is why companies prefer to “try before they buy” by hiring interns first. It allows them to build a pipeline of pre-vetted junior talent without the commitment or risk of hiring someone with zero proven experience.

This is why you’ll see more postings for internships than for full-time junior roles.

Not Completing Internships Is a Red Flag

In Software, internships are so normalized that they are an expected part of your career path.

Most universities in North America offer co-op programs, meaning It’s easy to find students graduating with 4 to 16 months of real-world experience.

By the time they apply for full-time jobs, they already have what amounts to one to two years of experience, which gets them into that 1–3 years of experience barrier.

meaning students often graduate with 4 to 16 months of real-world experience. By the time they apply for full-time jobs, they already have what amounts to one to two years of experience.

Internships are so normalized that, for many employers, a student with no internship or co-op experience is a red flag.

Companies want to see that you’ve already been tested in a real work environment.

Internships and New Grad Roles Hire on Seasonal Cycles

If you are looking for a entry level job, you have to search at the right time of year.

Companies typically hire interns a term before their anticipated start date, and new grads the term before they graduate.

For internships, if your terms are 4 months, you should search in

• January for May internships
• May for September internships
• September for January internships

Most students graduate in May or June, so the effect of that is most new grad postings will be posted in January and February.

If you are looking for entry level jobs in July, you’re likely to find very few postings, if any.

Final Thoughts

If you’re struggling to land that first job, it might not be because you’re underqualified—it might be because the jobs you’re applying for aren’t truly entry-level to begin with.

Want a better shot? Prioritize internships. Even post-graduation, internships remain the best path to breaking in.

Unless an internship is explicitly labeled as being for accredited students, it’s open to anyone who can demonstrate the skills needed for the role.

Want advice or just interested in chatting? Feel free to book a chat with me here to discuss career stuff, jobs searching, resumes, etc.