I totally agree. My first job was exactly as you describe. I graduated in 2009, in the teeth of the recession, and every company I applied to had a hiring freez

I totally agree. My first job was exactly as you describe. I graduated in 2009, in the teeth of the recession, and every company I applied to had a hiring freeze... except for one, which was known to be a miserable place to work, and known for chewing up programmers and spitting them out after six months to a year of grinding labor. I signed on anyway, because, at the time, I needed a job, any job on my resume. So I took the job, but I was cognizant of the fact that it was a "gig", not a career, and I spent time burnishing my portfolio outside of work, and kept looking. The moment the job market started to thaw, I jumped ship for a modest improvement in pay and a massive improvement in working conditions. That said, I think you're underestimating how good the job market is for programmers right now. Yes, your first job might suck. But if it does, try to recognize that fact early and make plans to switch companies at the earliest possible moment. Look in other cities (or even other countries) if you must. This is, after all, advice for young programmers, so they're not likely to have houses, family, etc. tying them down to a single location.