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I started programming because I enjoyed the work: solving problems, debugging, and making things run. When generative AI arrived during my final year of university, that enjoyment collided with a difficult job search and a harder question: βAre my skills even useful?β This is my account of finding a way to use AI without letting it replace the practice that helps me learn.
From learning Java to a year without a job
I began coding in 2020. I studied Java, data structures and algorithms, and practiced on LeetCode before starting my career. Programming felt rewarding, especially the process of finding and fixing bugs.
By my final year of university, generative AI tools were becoming part of the conversation around software development. I was also trying to get my first job. After graduation, I spent a year unemployed. I applied to companies and had about three interviews, but none turned into an offer. As the search dragged on, my mental state declined and I began to wonder, βHow could I possibly differentiate myself?β
These are my own recollections, not a measure of how the job market treats new developers generally. What made the period especially disorienting was not just being out of work; it was trying to understand what my skills meant while tools seemed able to produce code quickly.
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Building an app helped me regain momentumβand raised new doubts
After that year, I teamed up with a friend to build an app using an early version of Cursor. We launched it on the App Store seven months later. Having a concrete project to work on gave me a sense of progress after months of unsuccessful applications.
But the experience also brought a new concern. When AI could help move coding tasks along, some coding challenges began to feel trivial. I started asking whether the work was still mine and whether I was developing the judgment I would need as a software engineer. I didn’t know If I was supposed to use AI tools or write code by hand.
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That tension is personal: AI assistance made some tasks easier, but ease did not automatically answer what I should learn or how much of the work I should do myself.
A fast job offer did not instantly bring confidence
A local company eventually invited me to interview. The process happened in one day, and I received an offer the following morning. I was excited, but I entered the role with low confidence and uncertainty about my abilities.
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The interview included a practical exercise involving backend and frontend work. In the job itself, I had to find a workable balance between using AI and understanding the code I was responsible for. It took me about eight months in the role to feel confident and think clearly. That is my rough personal estimate, not a clinical measure or a claim about how long it takes other developers to adjust.
How I divide work between AI and practice
I now try to choose tools based on what I need from a task. When my priority is practical progress and efficiency, I use agentic coding tools. When my priority is learning fundamentals, I try to do the relevant work manually. That distinction helps me avoid treating every task as either an AI task or a test of whether I can work without assistance.
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| What I need | What I do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Move practical work forward | Use agentic coding assistance | I value the speed and efficiency it can provide. |
| Learn or strengthen fundamentals | Work through the problem manually | I want to practice reasoning and implementation, rather than only accept a generated answer. |
| Keep some thinking independent of AI | Write essays without assistance, solve LeetCode problems by hand, and read articles | These are habits I use to keep practicing without immediate AI help. |
I also disable Google AI Overviews on my personal computer. That is a preference about how I want to encounter information, not a recommendation that everyone should change their search settings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What I worry aboutβand what I can actually claim
I worry that relying too heavily on ready-made answers could βsteal your critical thinking skills.β That is my concern, not a proven causal finding. My experience does not show that AI use reduces developersβ abilities, nor that my habits prevent such an outcome.
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The trade-off I notice is simpler and more immediate. βThe speed and efficiency it provides cannot be neglected, even though it takes away some enjoyment.β AI can help me get things done, while also making parts of coding feel less satisfying. I am still working out how to keep the practical benefits without giving up the parts of programming that made me want to learn it in the first place.
My journey, in context
This account comes from JJDevβs article, βπ€ Staying Sane with AI + My Journeyβ, posted September 27. The timeline, interview count, launch, and adjustment period are my self-reported experiences. They are not population statistics or evidence that every junior developer should follow the same workflow.
Quick Recap
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