No Country for Junior Designers
The structural reality behind disappearing entry-level design roles and some practical advice for finding ways in
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I haven't worked with a junior designer in nearly a decade.
Not because I don't value them, but because the environments I've worked in haven't been set up to support them.
Lean teams leave no room for juniors
For the past eight years, I've worked primarily at hyper-scaling, technical, enterprise startups, especially in cybersecurity. These are companies that have found traction and are rapidly scaling to meet aggressive benchmarks in competitive markets. The pressure to deliver quickly and accurately is relentless.
In these engineering-driven organizations building products for technical users, design teams typically remain lean: often just 2-3 people. Every designer is expected to lead a pod, own a problem space, and deliver independently from day one.
There's simply no extra bandwidth for mentorship. No built-in scaffolding to help junior designers safely learn and grow. No slack in the system for someone still finding their footing.
Even with the best intentions, these teams just aren't structurally built to support junior growth.
My design career started differently
I've seen the flip side of this too. My first design role was at American Express, on a 20-person team.
I got to contribute immediately on small, concrete tasks and learn gradually by osmosis: supporting experienced leads, prototyping their ideas, and building confidence through direct exposure and feedback.
That environment was primed to support junior talent, with clear paths for growth and mentorship built into the workflow.
But that kind of team is increasingly rare in today's landscape.
It’s structural, not personal
In the industry as a whole, the modern product designer role has evolved into something inherently non-junior. It requires strategic decision-making, confident navigation of business and technical trade-offs, and providing guidance to senior or lead-level stakeholders (most often, a tech lead and product lead).
These abilities only develop through direct experience with product development cycles. Experience that juniors, by definition, don't yet have.
Making matters worse: The tactical tasks that juniors traditionally cut their teeth on are increasingly being delegated to AI tools. Tasks that once required a human junior designer with specialized training can now be handled by generative AI tools in a fraction of the time and cost to the organization.
This fundamentally changes the entry pathway. When the low-complexity work that helped juniors develop their skills is automated away, we lose the natural onramp that allowed designers to gradually progress from tactical execution to strategic direction.
Remote work has further complicated things by removing informal learning opportunities that happen naturally in an in-person work environment, like shadowing senior designers, being in the room for strategy discussions, or casual mentorship chats.
What this means if you're trying to break in
If you're trying to break into product design today and facing constant rejection:
You're not imagining how hard it is. And it's not just you.
The traditional entry path has largely disappeared. Companies that once hired junior designers now expect more maturity from day one, creating that impossible requirement of "needing experience to get experience."
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. You just need to adjust your approach accordingly for the situation we find ourselves in.
Where juniors can start
Instead of waiting for the overall market to become junior-friendly again (which I don't see happening), focus your search on environments more structurally accepting of new talent:
Very early-stage startups: Pre-seed or seed companies often have tight budgets and simply need someone enthusiastic who can execute designs. It will be trial-by-fire, but you'll gain rapid hands-on experience.
Stable, established businesses outside of ‘big tech’: Businesses with predictable revenue streams often provide structured environments for junior designers (my early experience at American Express is a prime example). It might not be as glamorous as a ‘big tech’ job, but as a result they’re less competitive while still offering critical experience to get started.
Design agencies: Since their business model focuses on selling design services, agencies naturally employ more designers and can support a mix of experience levels. The rapid exposure to multiple projects makes them solid launchpads even if your long-term goal is to work in-house in tech.
Finding a side door into design
If direct paths seem closed, you can still find a side door. Sometimes the smartest move isn't aiming straight for a 'product designer' title, but stepping into a role where you can stay close to product and grow into the craft:
UI Developer or Front-End Engineer (my path)
Graphic or Visual Designer
Growth or Marketing Designer
Production-focused design roles
This is how I did it: I started as a UI developer focused on prototyping, built skills through collaboration, and shifted into product design once I had more experience. Another unintentional benefit of this path for me was that I started out at a higher pay scale due to my coding skills and continued to leverage that into higher pay as a product designer throughout my career.
So while pursuing an adjacent role might not be your ideal scenario, I think it’s a completely reasonable stepping stone to build relevant skills while getting close to the product design process. From there, you can gradually take on more responsibilities and switch roles when you can make a stronger case for yourself based on real-world experience.
Make your own opportunities
Beyond targeting the right environments, here are three strategies that helped me break into my roles:
Publish relevant work publicly: Make up projects for yourself that are relevant to the kinds of companies you might like to work for and publish them online. This is how I got into advertising without having an advertising degree or any direct experience: I wrote an advertising blog and used that as my 'portfolio'. For product design these days there are so many ways to share work: Figma links, video recordings, social posts, etc. Use them to your advantage!
Position yourself near opportunities: I took a bet on moving to Chicago for my advertising gig, then NYC for my first design role. Being in these creative hubs helped me build my foundational network that I still rely on to this day. While remote work has changed the landscape, proximity to creative communities still creates opportunity for serendipitous connection and relationship building that can transform your career. Once you’re seasoned and sought-after, go wherever you want. But you’d be surprised how often just being physically present opens doors.
Become the early expert on new tools: Go deep into emerging tools and methodologies senior leaders may be curious about but not have the bandwidth to explore. I did this earlier in my career, bringing Sketch + Invision to a team when that was cutting-edge (RIP 🪦), then later introducing Figma before it became the industry standard. Now I'm exploring AI prototyping tools as the next generation. Being the team's expert in new technology creates unique value that transcends experience levels and often positions you as the go-to resource regardless of your seniority or title.
Final Thoughts
The structural shifts outlined here aren't your fault, and they don’t reflect your potential.
If you can accept the reality of today’s landscape, then you can start to adjust your approach and find new paths, even if they look different than what you expected.
Take it from me: a liberal arts grad who found my way into advertising, engineering, and design, persistently creating opportunities along the way.
Ultimately, your goal isn't just to land your first product design job; it’s to build valuable skills that compound over time, preparing you to thrive no matter how the market evolves.
Good luck out there!
Until next time,
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This is the kind of a breakdown of a no-junior-designers-roles problem that quiets one's anxiety and rethinking the whole design career choice. Agreed, it is structural, not personal. I'd qualify it as a mini-wicked problem.
Many things discussed resonate. I personally found early start-ups opportunities approach *fruitful (*if you don't mind getting paid in networking, real-wold problems etc. only).
Aside from that, really niching down and genuinely contributing/expressing your expertise really do help.
My biggest ache is How to develop the kind of networking that one would get when working within a bigger design team? Since start-ups design teams tend to me non-existent/AI design builder.