Entry-level software engineering jobs are shrinking. Forward deployed engineering is the role exploding to replace them, and it's still open to new grads.

Clara Shih talks with Leo Mehr, Director of Engineering at Ramp, who joined as the team's second engineer and now leads about 30 people.

They cover what an FDE really does, why AI is collapsing ten jobs into one, and how to break in without a traditional CS background: ship something public, keep your GitHub green, and pair a technical project with real people skills. Leo also makes the case for using AI in coding interviews and explains how to build taste when AI makes slop cheap to produce. Honest, specific advice for navigating a job market AI is reshaping fast.

Learn more: https://dearcc.org

You learned to code because they told you to. Now, the entry-level coding job is gone and the new bar is "can you build a whole app and make it cool?"

Clara talks with Chip Huyen, author of AI Engineering and a founder building in AI and robotics, and Swizec Teller, Tech Lead at biotech startup Plasmidsaurus, about what they actually look for in new grad engineers in 2026.

What does an entry-level engineer look like now that AI writes the code? Chip and Swizec break down the new AI-assisted interview, why most hackathon projects look identical, the kind of side project that actually opens doors, and the mentors worth finding before AI talks you into a bad bet.

If you're applying to software roles right now and getting nowhere, this episode calls out what changed.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube @dearCChq

More at dearcc.org

dear [CC] PodcastEpisode 1: dear [Accounting]

AI took the entry-level accounting seat. Here's the seat that's now open.

The job now is judgment, context, and process design to direct AI. Here's how to build proof of all three when Big Four entry-level postings are down 44% and PwC is hiring a third fewer grads next year.

A Chief Accounting Officer who shrunk his close from 16 days to 10 with Python scripts and Claude, and a University of San Diego accounting grad who left PwC after two years to start his own AI consultancy for CPA firms.

"I can teach you the debits and credits, I can give you AI tools, I can't teach you hunger. I can't teach you intellectual curiosity. If I hear you built a workflow automation for a CPA firm and it helped them do X, Y, Z, that's pretty cool. I want you because you're the one that's going to run through walls with the tools to go do the thing." (Michael Matlock, Chief Accounting Officer, Benchling)

Guests: Michael Matlock (Chief Accounting Officer, Benchling) https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-matlock-ey/ Noah Salah (UC San Diego '23, Accounting) https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahsalah/ Learn More at dearcc.org Subscribe to dear [CC] on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dearCChq Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SubFuV7rqW7SMZgKLaeOo?si=3d56e095856d41cb Listen to us on Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-cc-human-advice-for-the-ai-age/id1895152062 Follow Us: Instagram: @dearcchqX (Twitter): @dearcchq TikTok: @dearcchqInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearcchq/  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dearCChq  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dearcchq X: https://x.com/DearCChqLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dear-cc/

Dear CC, Human advice for the AI age

The AI age has arrived. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the job market. Coming from pandemic over-hiring, global economic policy shifts, and an eruption in AI capabilities, it’s difficult to make sense of overall job market data. But one thing is clear: Entry-level job seekers are experiencing the most difficulty in finding work. 

In this podcast, we share the facts and talk to people navigating this evolving market: hiring managers, recent grads looking for work, and folks who have managed to secure jobs. Exploring data and real stories in this rapidly changing landscape, we’re uncovering the insights to help job seekers and recruiters get answers.

Guests:

Ally (marketing leader, B2C and B2B Silicon Valley companies)

Samantha (UC Berkeley '23, sociology and media studies)

learn more at https://www.dearcc.org