A Guide to Securing Your First Job in India as a Fresher

Securing a job as a fresher in India can be quite challenging. Honestly, experience holds significant weight in the IT corporate sector. The large gap between demand and supply makes it understandable why leaders might hesitate to invest financially in freshers. From my point of view, campus placements are the primary avenue where recruiters feel more at ease hiring individuals with little or no experience.

However, no company wants to overlook talented individuals who have the potential to become valuable assets to their organization or startup, regardless of their background.

How can you demonstrate to these companies that you have the potential to be a valuable asset and all you need is a chance? What strategies can you use to make your CV and efforts stand out from the competition?

It’s important to trust that persistence and focused efforts will significantly boost your chances of securing a good job. Recently, I assisted a young friend with limited work experience in his job search. I believe the steps and resources we used might be beneficial for some of you as well.

Steps and Resources to Get a Job:

Step 0: Be Prepared

Prepare Your Resume, Cover Letter, and Short Summary: Here’s a high-level guide on what to include in each.

Resume/CV: Highlight your work experience as extensively as possible. If you’re a fresher, include internships and training experiences, elaborate on them, and emphasize the skills you’ve acquired. Mention any personal projects you’ve undertaken; if you haven’t yet, consider starting a project relevant to your desired job roles, as this can make your CV stand out when you’re lacking work experience. Add strong academic achievements and notable college projects. Including links to your GitHub or StackOverflow profiles can be effective. Remove unnecessary personal details like hobbies and your full address.

Cover Letter: A well-crafted cover letter allows you to communicate beyond what’s in your CV. Capture the recruiter’s attention by expressing genuine enthusiasm for the company and position, explaining your motivation, and emphasizing your eagerness for the opportunity. Keep it concise, ideally 2-3 paragraphs. Tailor each cover letter to the specific company and role to avoid appearing as though you’re copying and pasting. Discuss the industry of the desired company, your interest in their vision and mission, and how you wish to contribute.

Summary: This is your professional snapshot from an employer’s perspective, capturing who you are in a brief statement. Consider what an employer would want to know about you in 20 seconds if they were deciding whether to hire you. A template might be: “I am [Name], a passionate [Field] enthusiast skilled in [Skill 1], [Skill 2], and have completed projects such as [Project], which inspired my career path.” Customize your summary for the job profile, keeping it within 4-5 sentences.

Step 1: Be Present Where Others Are!

Complete a detailed profile on the following job sites and include audio/video clips of yourself reciting your summary where applicable:

Enhance your LinkedIn profile by adding relevant experiences and making it as rich and impressive as possible. Activate the “Open for Jobs” feature and expand your LinkedIn network. Engage actively by using LinkedIn similarly to Instagram or Facebook for at least a year. Share insights and learning from your domain through LinkedIn posts or articles.

Additionally, consider these recommended job aggregator sites:

It’s beneficial to open an account and complete your profile on each of the above platforms to maximize job opportunities. These sites allow direct job applications or redirect you to a company’s career page.

AngelList: Ideal for exploring jobs in startups, with options to filter by industry, location, funding, and company size.
Interview Chacha: A referral-based platform where current employees from top companies share internal vacancies and offer referrals.

Step 2: Go for Mass Recruiters First

If you’re a typical fresher in India with limited academic credentials, it’s advisable to start by targeting mass recruiting companies. These companies tend to hire in larger numbers and are often more receptive to new graduates. In contrast, firms operating in niche areas or with smaller teams may have stricter skillset requirements, making it more challenging for freshers to secure a position. Nonetheless, feel free to apply to these companies as well.

Mass Recruiting Companies: Tech Mahindra, TCS, Infosys, Genpact, Juniper, Wipro, Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, L&T Infotech, Aricent, Redington, Mphasis, Mindtree, Hexaware, Sapient, Isobar, and others.

Large Employers (Not Mass Recruiters): Oracle, VMWare, Nvidia, Amazon, Flipkart, Qualcomm, Credit Suisse, JPMC, Ericsson, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Morgan Stanley, PayPal, all Indian banks, and NeoBanks (digital banking startups).

Visit the ‘Careers’ page of each of these companies and fill out all required information. Most companies store resumes in their database (with your consent) for future reference. Ensure you use the appropriate keywords for your job skills, as this is the fastest way for recruiters to locate your resume.

Step 3: Seek Referrals

When applying for jobs, always try to secure a referral first. Here are some strategies to obtain one:

Search for your desired company on LinkedIn and see if any of your current connections work there. If not, send connection requests to their employees. Once connected, politely request a referral.
Identify reputable companies hiring for your preferred roles and compile a list of at least 100 such companies. Connect with their employees and, upon acceptance, courteously ask for a referral.
If you’re new to LinkedIn and finding it difficult to get connection requests accepted, ask a close senior friend with more experience to request a referral on your behalf.
List leaders who typically mention #Hiring in their LinkedIn bio and influencers in your field. Connect with their followers, share your summary, and inquire about referrals for internal vacancies relevant to your role.
Contact your college placement coordinator for a list of your batchmates and learn which companies they have joined. Email them individually to request a referral, explaining that you’re seeking better opportunities.
Share your job-search journey on LinkedIn and ask if someone could give you a chance or at least share your post. Such posts often receive great engagement and support.

Remember, asking for a referral is neither an act of desperation nor shame. Don’t hesitate to seek a genuine referral, regardless of what others might think.

Step 4: Tests/Competitions route

Sign up and prepare for online shortlisting/selection tests. Recruiters often partner with these test organizers or monitor top performers. Here are a few platforms worth exploring:

Relevel: An Unacademy initiative offering tests for various job profiles, along with study materials.
AMCAT: Known for college partnerships to help graduates find jobs.
eLitmus: Also collaborates with colleges to assist students in securing employment.
HackerRank
HackerEarth: Both platforms host coding competitions, allowing your skills to be recognized by companies hiring tech talent.

Step 5: Choose your keywords carefully!

Many companies utilize skill-matching algorithms to manage the large volume of resumes they receive. To increase your chances, incorporate common skill keywords in your resume or online profiles, such as SQL, JAVA, and Analytics. Platforms like Smartr.me can provide feedback on necessary skills when your application is rejected—take advantage of this feature.

Step 6: Be a part of the Group

Seek out fresher groups on platforms like Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Telegram. These groups often share valuable information about walk-in drives, interview questions, and other helpful tips (such as the Telegram group “OffCampus Drives”). Consider joining relevant WhatsApp groups if available, but be cautious of scams promoting misleading content. Follow hashtags like #Jobs, #Hiring, and #Freshers on social media, particularly on LinkedIn, to stay updated on new opportunities.

To maximize your visibility for roles where you might be overlooked (like off-campus hiring or mass recruitment), consider applying from three different email accounts.

Find a mentor with at least five years of experience who can guide you through the process based on their own journey.

While pursuing job opportunities, continuously develop your skills and work on personal projects if you’re not currently engaged in other assignments. Freelancing can also help you build a portfolio and gain exposure to valuable projects. A quick Google search will reveal numerous freelancing platforms. For technical interview preparation, I recommend the book “Cracking the Coding Interview” by Gayle McDowell, available on Amazon.

Explore these Job and Interview Resource Sites for Further Opportunities: