Gwen Davis outlines practical strategies for junior developers to succeed in the age of AI, focusing on leveraging GitHub Copilot, developing core coding skills, and thriving within open-source and DevOps workflows.

How Junior Developers Can Thrive with AI and GitHub Copilot

By Gwen Davis

AI is rapidly changing software engineering, but junior developers remain essential. This article explores how new developers can adapt and excel by embracing AI tools—especially GitHub Copilot—alongside strong fundamental skills and collaborative workflows.

Why Junior Developers Still Matter

While 26% of junior developer tasks could be automated by 2027 (ServiceNow & Pearson, 2023), companies increasingly value new talent’s familiarity with AI tools. As Thomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, notes, today’s entrants are already adept at using AI code generation and thrive in AI-augmented environments.

According to Miles Berry, professor of computing education, new developers must focus on creativity and curiosity—traits that AI cannot replace. Critical thinking and collaboration with both AI and human teammates are essential skills.

Five Ways to Stand Out as a Junior Developer in the AI Era

1. Use AI as a Learning Accelerator

  • Treat GitHub Copilot as more than just an autocomplete tool; configure it as a tutor in VS Code by customizing instructions so it guides you without giving full solutions. Example configuration:

    --- applyTo: "**" ---
I am learning to code. You are to act as a tutor; assume I am a beginning coder. Teach me concepts and best practices, but don’t provide full solutions. Help me understand the approach, and always add: "Always check the correctness of AI-generated responses."
  • Use Copilot Chat to ask about unfamiliar concepts, debugging, syntax, or to compare coding approaches.

  • Occasionally disable autocomplete to practice problem-solving and strengthen critical skills. In .vscode/settings.json:

    { "github.copilot.enable": { "*": false } }
  • See full Copilot as tutor guide

2. Build a Public Portfolio Showcasing AI Skills

  • Start side projects using Copilot’s project scaffolding via /new in Copilot Chat within VS Code.
  • Ask Copilot to apply an MIT license and help publish your project.

  • Use GitHub’s interface or git commands:

    git init && git add . && git commit -m "Initial commit" && git push
  • Track progress, document your journey in the README, and iterate with AI and community feedback.
  • Prompt Copilot to scaffold and publish projects

3. Level Up with DevOps and Collaboration

  • Automate builds, tests, and deployments using GitHub Actions.
  • Contribute to open source to enhance your skills and portfolio (open source guide).
  • Practice collaboration through pull requests, code reviews, and project boards (GitHub flow guide).

4. Grow Through Code Review

  • Seek feedback on pull requests and view every review as a growth opportunity.
  • Ask questions to clarify feedback, look for recurring suggestions, and take notes for future improvement.
  • Practice gratitude and collaborative communication in review cycles.
  • Best practices for code review

5. Debug Smarter and Faster with AI

  • Use Copilot Chat for debugging by prompting questions like “Why is this function throwing an error?”
  • Use slash commands (/fix, /tests, /explain, /doc) for targeted assistance in debugging and documentation.
  • Combine commands for end-to-end problem solving: explain an error, fix it, and document the solution for your team.
  • Practical Copilot debugging guide

Final Thoughts

By learning to collaborate both with AI tools like GitHub Copilot and with human teammates, junior developers can stay relevant, boost their skills, and build a public presence that leads to new opportunities. Creativity, curiosity, and technical versatility—supported by AI—will set you apart.

Start your next project on GitHub today

Originally published by Gwen Davis on The GitHub Blog. Original post

This post appeared first on “The GitHub Blog”. Read the entire article here