Companies want job-ready freshers, but who gives them their first break?

For a fresher, the first job is supposed to be the beginning of everything. It is where classroom lessons meet real-world work, where mistakes become learning experiences, and where a degree finally starts to feel worthwhile. But for many young graduates entering India's job market, getting that first break is becoming a challenge of its own.

Employers want candidates who can hit the ground running, adapt to new technologies, and demonstrate practical skills.

Yet, without a first job, gaining that experience can be difficult. As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes workplaces and companies become more selective about whom they hire, an uncomfortable question emerges: are freshers being asked to prove themselves before they are even given a chance?

ENTRY-LEVEL OPENINGS FACE A SHARPER SQUEEZE

India's job postings declined 5% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026. However, postings for junior and entry-level positions fell 11%, compared with a 6% decline in the first quarter.

The findings point to a sharper contraction at the beginning of the career ladder than across the wider job market.

The pressure is also visible in more recent hiring data. According to Naukri's September 2026 JobSpeak report, overall white-collar hiring grew just 1% year-on-year, while hiring for professionals with zero to three years of experience also rose 1%. In comparison, artificial intelligence and machine learning hiring jumped 20%.

Another report highlights a market where recruitment is continuing, but growth is unevenly distributed across experience levels and skill sets.

The figures measure different things: Bain tracks job postings, while Naukri reports hiring trends. Together, however, they suggest that freshers are not benefiting equally from the opportunities emerging in the market.

THE NEW EXPECTATION: BE JOB-READY FROM DAY ONE

For years, entry-level jobs offered graduates an opportunity to learn on the job. Companies recruited young employees, trained them and gradually increased their responsibilities. That transition is being reconsidered as automation changes how work is organised.

A February report examined how technology companies are redefining job readiness. As AI tools automate routine tasks and accelerate delivery, employers increasingly want graduates to contribute to projects sooner.

This changes the expectations attached to a first job. Graduates may need to demonstrate practical skills, adaptability and familiarity with AI tools, alongside their academic qualifications.

The shift also raises questions about how beginners acquire experience. If employers expect new recruits to become productive quickly, opportunities to learn through routine assignments and structured training could become more limited in some workplaces.

However, this does not mean every employer is abandoning graduate recruitment. Rather, the role of a fresher is evolving, with companies placing greater emphasis on how quickly a candidate can learn and apply new skills.

AI HIRING RISES, BUT OPPORTUNITIES REMAIN UNEVEN

The growth in AI recruitment offers one explanation for the changing landscape. While overall hiring remains subdued, specialised roles are expanding faster than the wider market.

Yet this does not automatically translate into more opportunities for every graduate. A fresher competing for a conventional software services position may face a different market from someone with demonstrable AI or machine learning skills.

The broader technology sector also presents a mixed picture. According to a recent report, IT and software services hiring declined 4% year-on-year, even as AI and machine learning recruitment increased 20%.

This contrast suggests that employers are not necessarily expanding their workforces uniformly. Demand is shifting towards particular capabilities, making the transition from college to employment more dependent on the skills a candidate brings.

COMPANIES ARE STILL HIRING FRESHERS

There are also important counterexamples to the shrinking-opportunities narrative.

In February, Cognizant planned to recruit around 24,000 to 25,000 fresh graduates in 2026, up from nearly 20,000 in 2025. The company said AI could help graduates become productive faster, rather than make entry-level employees redundant.

Similarly, IBM planned to triple its entry-level hiring in the US in 2026, with junior roles increasingly focused on customer interaction and working alongside AI tools.

These plans show why it would be premature to conclude that companies have stopped hiring beginners. The more significant change may be in the kinds of entry-level jobs available and the capabilities expected of recruits.

IS THE FIRST JOB BECOMING HARDER TO SECURE?

For graduates, the emerging challenge is a combination of intense competition, uneven hiring, and rising expectations. A degree remains important, but employers may increasingly look for evidence that candidates can apply their knowledge, adapt to new tools and contribute quickly.

The first rung has not disappeared. But as hiring becomes more selective and entry-level roles evolve, the distance between graduation and a first job may be growing for some candidates.

The question for employers is whether faster productivity can coexist with opportunities for beginners to learn. For graduates, it is whether the skills needed to secure a first job can realistically be acquired before they get one.

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