How to Get Hired for Your First Software Development Job in 2026

The path into software development looks nothing like it did three years ago. The good news: hiring is back. Software engineer job postings are up around 11% year over year, and roughly 15% above the rock-bottom they hit in May 2025. Companies have moved past the defensive layoffs of the post-ZIRP correction, R&D tax rules have settled, and budgets are flowing again. The bad news: the door is narrower. Junior posting volume is still down about 67% from its 2022 peak. The average software job