‘No shortage of people, but a lack of skills’: how juniors can navigate today’s IT job market
According to hh.ru data for 2025, in Tatarstan 32 entry-level specialists are competing for one open IT vacancy, while there are only three senior specialists per job opening
At present, both the Russian and the Tatarstan labour markets in the field of information technology are demonstrating a clear imbalance. According to the hh.ru platform’s data for 2025, the situation in Tatarstan looks as follows: 32 junior specialists are competing for one open vacancy, while there are only three senior CVs per vacant position. Today, “beginners” continue to enter an overcrowded market, declaring high salary expectations. But what is wrong with their skills, and why are employers increasingly refusing their services? This, as well as which promising areas to consider in order to “enter the IT market” and remain in demand, is discussed in Realnoe Vremya’s report.
The pace of hiring specialists has noticeably slowed in the IT sector
At present, the Russian labour market in the field of information technology is demonstrating a clear imbalance: there is an acute shortage of experienced specialists alongside a surplus of entry-level IT professionals. This situation in Tatarstan was also noted by the head of the Kazan Employment Centre, Timur Mullin, at a press brunch on 16 January.
“Overall, the imbalance lies in the fact that in the post-Covid period we saw growing demand for IT specialists. This demand developed into short-term information courses aimed at acquiring an IT profession. As a result, after the Covid period we ended up with a surplus of juniors, whom IT companies are getting rid of, given that the IT services market in Russia is also shrinking," Mullin said.
According to hh.ru data for 2025, the situation in Tatarstan looks as follows: 32 entry-level specialists (juniors) are competing for one open vacancy. At the same time, companies’ demand has shifted towards more experienced staff: the greatest shortage is observed among senior specialists, with a slightly smaller deficit among middle-level professionals. Notably, the number of experienced seniors has doubled over the past year: there are now three CVs from specialists at this level per vacancy. Nevertheless, demand for them remains high, with companies actively “hunting” for experienced staff.
- Junior — a specialist who has only just started their career and has little experience.
- Middle — an experienced developer who is already able to work independently.
- Senior — a specialist with extensive experience, capable of making key decisions in product development.
An entry-level IT specialist reaches break-even at best after a year
Experts note that the wave of newcomers emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people retrained as IT specialists after completing short-term online courses. Today, these specialists are entering the market with high salary expectations, but their practical skills often prove insufficient, while their portfolios tend to be repetitive.
As noted by Technokratiya’s HR Director, Ekaterina Murzina, between 2020 and 2024 there was a mass process of digitalisation and import substitution, accompanied by an expansion of company staff. However, organisations have now changed their strategic direction.
The expert also points out that the current market situation is linked to a change in the nature of projects. Most tasks are now aimed at optimising existing processes and solving technically complex issues that require significant experience. Such projects are not suitable for entry-level specialists, which further reduces demand for their services.
“The market is overcrowded, but in IT there is no shortage of people, there is a shortage of skills. Companies do not need juniors in such volumes today; they need seniors. It is seniors who are being hunted," said Inna Ramazanova, Client Solutions Manager at hh.ru, in a conversation with Realnoe Vremya.
Experts also note that many entry-level IT specialists come into the industry from completely different fields (for example, from law), but are not yet able to meet employers’ requirements.
“The key is to stop being ‘just a junior’ and start solving specific business problems”
An analysis of the labour market for the third quarter of 2025 by hh.ru showed that employers are increasingly paying attention to candidates’ practical skills and technological experience. SQL leads with a share of 12% of all IT vacancies, followed by Linux (9%) and Python (8%). Knowledge of PostgreSQL is required in 7% of vacancies, as are analytical thinking skills, while experience in technical support, proficiency in Git, business communication skills and working with big data are in demand in 6% of job offers.
“Technological progress requires ever deeper and more practice-oriented skills. In order to keep up and expand career prospects, it is important to invest systematically in the development of hard skills. If you already possess these skills, be sure to confirm that they are up to date," said Marina Dorokhova, Head of the Career and Skills division at hh.ru.
Experts suggest looking at in-demand but less overloaded markets compared with software development. These include cybersecurity, which is described as a trend in the IT market (more details on who needs cybersecurity solutions and how hackers can affect the lives of ordinary citizens can be found in Realnoe Vremya’s report), DevOps, as well as systems and business analysis.
“Standing somewhat apart are specialisations related to artificial intelligence: Data Engineering, Data Science, ML Engineering and data analytics. There is demand for such specialists on the market; however, it should be borne in mind that the entry threshold for these fields is fairly high," noted Ekaterina Murzina, HR Director at Technokratiya.