How to Get a Job After Graduation in India? 11 Proven Steps
Updated on Feb 05, 2025 | 16 min read | 13.1k views
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Updated on Feb 05, 2025 | 16 min read | 13.1k views
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Over 60% of fresh graduates in India struggle to secure a job within six months of graduation. High competition and a lack of experience make it difficult for freshers to secure roles. To secure a job, you need to build industry-relevant skills, leverage networking opportunities, and craft a strong, ATS-friendly resume.
You need the right mix of networking, skill-building, and a strong resume. This guide provides the best job search strategies for freshers, ensuring you learn how to get a job after graduation effectively.
Finding a job after graduation in India is challenging due to high competition and a lack of industry experience.
Many freshers struggle because they apply randomly instead of following a structured approach. To succeed, you must focus on networking, internships, upskilling, and an optimized resume.
Below are 11 practical steps to follow for securing your first job.
Many students overlook valuable college resources that can help secure their first job. However, colleges are not just educational institutions—they are launchpads for careers, offering multiple avenues to connect with employers and gain industry exposure.
By leveraging these resources effectively, fresh graduates can significantly boost their chances of securing a job.
Also Read: How to Create a Standout Resume for Freshers
Also Read: How to Land a Job with No Experience: A Beginner's Guide
While college resources provide a strong starting point, expanding your connections beyond campus can open even more job opportunities through networking.
Many job opportunities never get publicly posted, making networking one of the best job search strategies for freshers to tap into the hidden job market. According to LinkedIn, over 85% of jobs are filled through networking rather than online applications. A strong professional network can fast-track your job search by giving you direct access to referrals, industry trends, and hiring managers.
Also Read: 50 Networking Interview Questions & Answers (Freshers & Experienced)
Networking opens doors to hidden job opportunities, but your online presence ensures recruiters notice you. Strengthen your LinkedIn profile to make meaningful connections.
Recruiters often check LinkedIn before shortlisting candidates. In fact, over 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn for hiring, and profiles with a professional photo receive 14 times more profile views than those without.
A well-optimized LinkedIn profile increases your chances of getting noticed, which is crucial when learning how to get a job after graduation. It opens doors to both visible and hidden job opportunities.
Here’s how to make your profile stand out.
A strong LinkedIn profile should highlight your expertise and make it easy for recruiters to assess your potential. Ensure each section is optimized with relevant details:
Key LinkedIn Profile Elements |
Description |
Profile Picture | A professional-looking, clear headshot |
Headline | A concise, industry-relevant statement (e.g., "Aspiring Data Analyst”) |
Summary | A short introduction highlighting skills, experience, and career aspirations |
Experience | Internships, projects, or part-time jobs relevant to your field |
Skills | List industry-relevant skills like Java, Digital Marketing, or UI/UX Design |
Also Read: How Can Students Leverage LinkedIn For Better Career Opportunities
Having a strong LinkedIn profile is just the first step. Now, you need real-world experience to make your profile more impactful and job-ready.
Practical experience gives you an edge over other freshers. Employers seek candidates who can contribute from day one, and real-world exposure through internships and freelancing builds industry-relevant skills beyond classroom knowledge.
Pro Tip: Highlight your projects on GitHub, Behance, or a personal portfolio website to stand out. Recruiters value a strong online presence that demonstrates real work.
Also Read: Top 30 Job-Oriented Professional Courses After Graduation
Once you've built hands-on experience, the next step is ensuring your resume reflects it effectively.
Your resume and cover letter must highlight why you are the best candidate. A survey by TopResume found that 75% of resumes are rejected before they reach a hiring manager due to poor structure and lack of relevant details.
Aspect | Resume | Cover Letter |
Purpose | Summarizes qualifications | Explains why you are a good fit for the role |
Length | 1 page (concise and structured) | 3-4 paragraphs (persuasive) |
Content | Education, skills, experience | Motivation, achievements, enthusiasm |
Also Read: How to Build a Resume For Your Dream Job
A strong resume gets you noticed, but relevant skills secure the job. The next step is upskilling to enhance your employability and industry readiness.
Employers prioritize candidates with up-to-date skills. In India’s job market, most of the hiring managers favored candidates with industry certifications.
Learn blockchain basics with upGrad's Blockchain: A Quick Introduction and stay ahead in a tech-driven job market.
Boost your career prospects with upGrad's Enhance Your Potential: Soft Skills Courses and master communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.
Also Read: Top 10 Highest Paying IT Certifications in India in 2025
With the right skills in place, targeting the right job opportunities becomes easier.
Applying randomly reduces success rates. A targeted approach improves efficiency and ensures you land the right role faster. Instead of sending out generic applications, focus on a structured, data-driven approach that aligns with industry trends, modern hiring technologies, and recruiter expectations. Understanding how to get a job after graduation requires using the right platforms and strategies tailored to your career goals.
Pro Tip: Join LinkedIn groups like “Jobs for Freshers India” to discover exclusive job opportunities before they’re posted publicly.
Also Read: Best Career Options in India 2025: High, Salary, Future Scope
Applying to jobs is just the first step—securing an interview is where the real challenge begins. Proper preparation can make all the difference.
Confidence in interviews comes with preparation. According to Glassdoor, 77% of candidates feel interviews are the most stressful part of job hunting. This stress often stems from uncertainty, lack of practice, and unfamiliarity with modern interview formats used by companies today.
The following table outlines the most common HR, technical, and behavioral interview questions, along with strategies to structure your answers for maximum impact.
Question Type | Example | Best Answer Strategy |
HR Questions | "Tell me about yourself" | Structure it as: Background → key skills → relevant experience → career goal. Keep it concise, align with the role, and end with why you're a great fit. |
Technical Questions | "Explain OOP principles" | Break it into four pillars (Encapsulation, Inheritance, Polymorphism, Abstraction), give a real-world analogy (e.g., a car’s components), and tie it to practical applications in your field. |
Behavioral Questions | "Describe a challenge you faced" | Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) |
Also Read: Top 30 Interview Question & Answers for Freshers
Acing interviews is just one part of securing a job; staying informed about industry trends ensures you remain competitive and relevant in the job market.
Employers today seek candidates who are not just skilled but also aware of emerging technologies and business shifts. For example, job seekers can use ChatGPT to draft personalized cover letters and practice mock interview questions based on job descriptions.
Enhance your freelancing skills and stay competitive by exploring ChatGPT & AI Free Courses to sharpen your AI, coding, and automation expertise.
Also Read: Best Data Analytics Courses in 2025: A Comprehensive Guide
Staying informed about industry trends is crucial, but tracking your applications systematically ensures you make the most of every opportunity.
Tracking your job applications is crucial for maintaining momentum and ensuring you follow up at the right time. Without an organized approach, it’s easy to lose track of deadlines, forget follow-ups, or miss out on potential opportunities. A well-maintained job application tracker can significantly improve your efficiency and success rate.
A structured follow-up approach can improve response rates. For example, a good practice is to follow up 3 days after a referral, a week after applying, and reapply after two weeks if there’s no response.
Modern Tools for Job Tracking
Skip manual tracking and use AI job tracking tools like:
Also Read: Top 10 Short-term Job Oriented Courses in 2025
Staying organized improves efficiency, but setbacks are inevitable. If things don’t go as planned, having a backup strategy ensures you stay on track.
Not every job search goes as planned. How to get a job after graduation can feel challenging, especially with multiple rejections, lack of relevant experience, or skill gaps. These setbacks are common, but having alternative career paths ensures progress.
Many successful professionals have taken unconventional routes to build thriving careers. Below are practical career strategies that can help fresh graduates stay ahead and continue growing professionally.
If higher studies are part of your backup plan, explore Online MBA Degree Courses from the World’s Top B-Schools to gain industry-relevant skills and expand your career opportunities.
Also Read: 18 Trending Courses Online in 2025: Top Benefits and How To Pick One!
Even with the best efforts, securing a job can take time. If you don’t land a job immediately, here’s how to stay proactive and improve your chances.
In 2019, N. R. Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, revealed that he was rejected by multiple companies before building one of India's top IT firms. Not getting a job right after graduation is common in today’s competitive market.
Most fresh graduates in India struggle due to a lack of industry-ready skills, but this does not mean failure—it simply signals a need to refine your approach and adopt the right strategies.
Key Points to Keep in Mind
Recruiters today prioritize candidates who have a growth mindset and proactively learn new technologies.
For example, full-stack development, blockchain technology, and AI-driven automation are among the most in-demand skills in 2024, as reported by LinkedIn’s Emerging Jobs Report.
Many freshers struggle because of the “experience paradox”—you need experience to get a job, but you need a job to gain experience. The best way to break this cycle is by taking up internships and freelancing projects.
Freelancing platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal provide opportunities in content writing, graphic design, software development, and business consulting—helping you build a portfolio that attracts recruiters.
Also Read: Complete Guide to Computer Science Internships in 2025
Traditional MNC jobs aren’t the only career option—there are many unconventional but lucrative opportunities available today.
For example: Many startups value skills and passion over degrees. Platforms like AngelList and Y Combinator’s job board list high-growth startup roles that offer faster career progression.
Instead of applying to only big-name companies, focus on mid-sized firms, consultancies, and emerging industries.
Example: A BBA graduate struggling to find a corporate job landed a role in market research after cold-emailing a startup’s CEO with a brief industry analysis.
Employers favor candidates who stay updated on AI-driven automation, blockchain adoption, cybersecurity advancements, and cloud computing trends. Subscribe to TechCrunch, Gartner, and McKinsey reports, follow LinkedIn influencers like Andrew Ng for AI and Vitalik Buterin for blockchain, and track emerging technologies shaping industries.
Rejections are part of the job search process, but persistence pays off. Studies show that candidates who maintain a structured routine—including exercise, mindfulness, and networking—find jobs faster than those who don't.
Example: Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, once applied for a job at McKinsey & Co. and was rejected before eventually excelling in tech.
Also Read: 6 Job-oriented Professional Courses After Graduation
If securing a job feels challenging right now, don't lose hope. The key is to focus on upskilling and improving your job readiness.
Landing a job as a fresher can be challenging, especially when employers seek candidates with industry-ready skills. The key to standing out is upskilling—acquiring the latest knowledge and expertise that align with industry demands.
This is where upGrad comes in, offering structured learning, career support, and job placement assistance to help fresh graduates bridge the skill gap and secure their dream jobs.
Here are some recommendations:
Do you need help deciding which courses can help you excel in your career? Contact upGrad for personalized counseling and valuable insights. For more details, you can also visit your nearest upGrad offline center.
Reference Links:
https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/2024-08/India%20Employment%20-%20web_8%20April.pdf
https://community.nasscom.in/communities/future-work/future-work-2024-balancing-priorities-ai-driven-world-december-2024
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-survey-reveals-85-all-jobs-filled-via-networking-lou-adler
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-employee-referrals-4x-more-likely-hired-anuradha-parakala-dfocc
https://www.jobvite.com/news_item/jobvite-social-recruiting-survey-finds-90-employers-will-use-social-recruiting-2012/
https://recruiseindia.com/how-to-make-your-linkedIn-profile-attractive-to-recruiters
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/talent-acquisition-fun-facts-trends-ankur-chadha-ss03c
https://topresume.com/career-advice/7-top-job-search-statistics
https://www.jobvite.com/blog/applicant-tracking-system/
https://www.harvardbusiness.org/insight/how-to-communicate-for-impact/
https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/6-in-10-employees-say-job-realities-different-than-expected-glassdoor-survey/
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