Junior roles are getting cut. Here is what I would actually do if I was starting out in 2026.

The survey data keeps coming: 43% of CEOs plan to reduce junior roles over the next year or two. That is not a prediction anymore. That is the hiring environment we are in. So if I was 22 right now, here is what I would actually focus on: Stop competing for entry-level tasks AI already does well Data entry, basic copywriting, first-draft coding, simple research, customer scripts. These were the foot-in-the-door roles for a generation. They are contracting fast. Competing for them head-on is a bad bet.