Amid rising layoffs in the IT sector, techie gives a reality check of the brutal job market. 'Many of us are stuck in a loop'

Time of India

14 hours ago

A tech graduate highlights the grim reality of India's developer job market, where freshers face shrinking opportunities and unrealistic experience demands. Skilled candidates are often overlooked, while networking and referrals become crucial for securing positions. Many are trapped in a cycle of upskilling with little return, as even in-demand skills don't guarantee success without connections or a top-tier education.
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A young software enthusiast recently opened up about the daunting reality of trying to secure a decent developer job in India. Posting in the Indian Workplace subreddit, the tech graduate painted a bleak picture of the current hiring landscape—especially for freshers and junior developers.The individual explained how landing a respectable job in development has become increasingly difficult. The market is overflowing with candidates, while job opportunities—particularly for beginners—are shrinking. What's more discouraging is that many entry-level roles now demand three or more years of prior experience, leaving fresh graduates stranded before even starting. The interview process adds another layer of anxiety, being not only inconsistent but often opaque and seemingly biased.He pointed out how many skilled peers—those with impressive project portfolios, strong data structure and algorithm expertise, and even internships—get ignored without explanation. At the same time, others manage to grab offers through internal recommendations or sheer luck. He emphasized how rare genuine fresher openings have become, and even off-campus drives are dominated by selection platforms with unreasonably tough screening tests.Startups, he mentioned, frequently cut off communication without warning, while large corporations stretch their hiring decisions for months. LinkedIn, once considered a lifeline for job seekers, has now turned into a platform full of empty promises and automated replies that never lead anywhere. Many aspiring developers are caught in an exhausting cycle of unpaid work, misleading hopes, and relentless upskilling that often bears little fruit.Even after learning multiple in-demand technologies—like React, Node.js, Python, Java, and SQL—the return on investment is disappointingly low unless you're part of a top-tier engineering institution or have strong personal connections in the industry. Without one of these key advantages, candidates often feel invisible.In response, several Reddit users shared their own experiences. One revealed they only got hired after a senior from college gave them a referral, despite having applied to more than 100 companies. Another mentioned the intense level of preparation now required to be considered—a mix of daily practice on coding platforms like LeetCode, learning system design, and managing long working hours.Some users pointed out that most jobs in the services sector don't involve true development work but rather maintenance and tool-based tasks. Others stressed the importance of networking, arguing that building personal connections is one of the few ways to break through in this economy. With risk-averse hiring managers often choosing familiar candidates, networking has become more essential than ever for job seekers.