{"edition":"2026-09-09-v1","publisher":"Opening Research","published":"2026-09-09","scope":"Seven purposefully selected U.S. early-career advertisements, checked September 9, 2026. An illustrative case series, not a random sample, market-share estimate, employer ranking or count of confirmed vacancies.","unit":"One named advertisement per case, including one explicitly identified talent pool. Multiple locations are not multiple vacancies.","selection":"Purposeful selection to compare different entry conditions across occupations. Only directly accessible public descriptions with U.S. work locations were retained. Not a probability sample or exhaustive search.","review":"AI-assisted source reading; not independent human review. Descriptions and visible embedded questions were checked; separate application stages, screening logic and hiring outcomes were not tested. No applications submitted or employers contacted.","definitions":{"experience":{"explicit-zero":"Explicitly no experience","zero-range":"Range starts at zero","positive":"Positive years listed","unquantified":"No numeric minimum stated","mixed":"Description and form differ","pool":"Future-opportunity pool"},"degree":{"required":"Degree listed as a qualification","alternative":"Degree or experience alternative","preferred":"Degree preferred","unstated":"Degree not stated in description","pool":"Not coded: talent pool"},"missing":"Not stated is not no requirement. A zero-starting range differs from an explicit no-experience statement. Required form answers do not establish disqualifying answers."},"citation":"Opening Research. What entry-level actually asks. Edition 2026-09-09-v1. https://opening.works/research/what-entry-level-actually-asks","reuse":"Opening’s original analysis and coding: https://opening.works/research/standards#reuse. Quoted employer text remains attributable to its original publisher.","cases":[{"id":"nova","employer":"Nova 401(k) Associates","title":"Entry Level Associate Account Manager","location":"Houston, Texas","url":"https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/nova401/jobs/5389262008","checkedAt":"2026-09-09T21:04:23.070Z","experience":"unquantified","experienceDetail":"Customer-service experience is preferred; computer and Microsoft Office experience are listed. No numeric years minimum appears in the description.","degree":"required","degreeDetail":"Bachelor’s degree listed; the form asks about completion by December 2026.","training":"Paid training, study time and credential costs described.","availability":"Role advertised for a January 2027 start.","quote":"Customer service experience a plus","quoteContext":"Qualifications in the job description","qualification":"The form asks about customer-service experience. A required answer does not establish that answering no triggers rejection."},{"id":"true-zero","employer":"True Zero Technologies","title":"Junior Cyber Security Analyst (R-00168)","location":"Northern Virginia","url":"https://jobs.lever.co/truezerotech/c60b816a-f54a-49e4-bf76-c18cccfbc3cc","checkedAt":"2026-09-09T21:04:23.005Z","experience":"positive","experienceDetail":"At least one year in several security and software-delivery activities. These may overlap; the durations are not added together.","degree":"alternative","degreeDetail":"Bachelor’s degree or at least four years of related experience.","training":"Investment in training and certifications described; paid study time not specified.","availability":"Role advertisement accessible at the check date.","quote":"Minimum 1+ years developing formal security documentation","quoteContext":"Position Requirements in the job description","qualification":"The experience substitution is a separate route around the degree requirement. It does not remove the other listed qualifications. Separate application stages were not inspected."},{"id":"paradigm","employer":"Paradigm","title":"Junior Payment Sales Specialist","location":"United States","url":"https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/joinparadigm/jobs/4360042005","checkedAt":"2026-09-09T21:04:23.038Z","experience":"positive","experienceDetail":"One or more years of business-to-business sales with closing experience listed under qualifications.","degree":"preferred","degreeDetail":"Bachelor’s degree preferred, not stated as mandatory.","training":"Skill development mentioned; a paid training program not specified.","availability":"Role advertisement accessible at the check date.","quote":"1+ years of consultative, B2B sales w/ closing experience, SaaS and FinTech preferred","quoteContext":"Qualifications in the job description","qualification":"The description calls the position entry level and addresses recent graduates. That language coexists with prior sales experience; enforcement is not observed."},{"id":"tom-james","employer":"Tom James Company / Measure Up","title":"Sewing Machine Operator","location":"Lafayette, Tennessee","url":"https://jobs.lever.co/tomjames/816c8d04-97ab-4ca5-8c88-0d9d116c71de","checkedAt":"2026-09-09T21:04:23.034Z","experience":"explicit-zero","experienceDetail":"The description explicitly says prior experience is not required.","degree":"unstated","degreeDetail":"No degree condition stated in the job description.","training":"Employer says training is provided; training pay terms not specified.","availability":"Role advertisement accessible at the check date.","quote":"No Experience Required","quoteContext":"Entry-level description immediately before the training statement","qualification":"Learning, sewing-quality and physical requirements remain. No prior experience does not mean no skill expectations. Separate application stages were not inspected."},{"id":"arco","employer":"ARCO National Construction","title":"Entry Level Assistant Superintendent","location":"Travel throughout the United States","url":"https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/anc/jobs/4382334009","checkedAt":"2026-09-09T21:04:23.074Z","experience":"zero-range","experienceDetail":"A zero-to-two-year construction-experience range is listed. Its upper endpoint is not a two-year minimum.","degree":"unstated","degreeDetail":"No degree condition stated in the description; the form asks for education level.","training":"Tools and support described; a paid training program not specified.","availability":"Traveling role advertisement accessible at the check date.","quote":"0-2 years of construction experience","quoteContext":"Beginning of the construction-project experience bullet under Necessary Qualifications","qualification":"The same bullet specifies project types and size. Travel, software proficiency and a driver’s license are also listed. A zero-starting range is not an unconditional no-experience promise."},{"id":"sol","employer":"SOL Mental Health","title":"Entry Level Territory Manager / Outside Account Executive","location":"Brooklyn, New York; field-based","url":"https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/solmentalhealth/jobs/4723665005","checkedAt":"2026-09-09T21:04:25.314Z","experience":"mixed","experienceDetail":"Description lists zero to two years; a required form question asks about at least one to three years of sales experience.","degree":"unstated","degreeDetail":"No degree condition stated in the job description.","training":"Direct mentorship described; paid training terms not specified.","availability":"Role advertisement and embedded form accessible at the check date.","quote":"Do you have at least 1-3 years of inside or outside sales experience","quoteContext":"Beginning of a required question in the embedded application form","qualification":"The wording differs between description and form. The employer’s actual screening rule is unknown; a required question does not prove automatic rejection. No employer clarification obtained."},{"id":"swan","employer":"SWAN Loveland","title":"Plumbing Apprentices — Talent Network","location":"Loveland, Colorado","url":"https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/swanloveland/jobs/4666642008","checkedAt":"2026-09-09T21:04:23.063Z","experience":"pool","experienceDetail":"Invites experienced and entry-level workers into a future-opportunity network; not coded as a current role’s experience requirement.","degree":"pool","degreeDetail":"Not coded as a current role’s qualification.","training":"Development opportunities described for potential future work.","availability":"Explicit future-opportunity pool; an immediate opening is not promised.","quote":"While we may not have an immediate opening","quoteContext":"Opening paragraph describing the talent network","qualification":"The notice discloses its purpose. A talent pool is not proof of a fake job or deceptive intent."}]}