Getting job-ready: A look at entry-level roles growing in demand

Although hiring sentiments have remained less-than-ideal for freshers this campus season due to a tech slowdown and economic uncertainty, various other trends have come to the fore. The IT/ITES industry is increasing its apprentice hiring count, institutes are tapping into its alumni network to increase recruitment possibilities, and various employers are turning to avenues like hackathons and competitions to assess and hire freshers.?

On the flip side, a TeamLease Digital report found that less than half of new graduates in India, particularly in the engineering domain, were job-ready.?

So, how can young professionals prepare to break into relevant roles?

According to LinkedIn data, job titles like Design Specialist, Demand Generation Associate, and Customer Success Associate emerged as entry-level jobs with median years of prior experience accounting for less than two years.?

And in this article, we dig deeper into these roles to understand the various opportunities as well as challenges that are in store for freshers, and gain insights and guidance from experts.

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Leading by design?

Design Specialist has emerged as one of the 25 fastest-growing jobs in India this year based on data collected by LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers that calculated the growth rate of job titles between the months of January and July, from 2019 through 2023.

?? Take a look at which other roles made it to LinkedIn India’s Jobs of the Rise list for 2024

A career in design requires a blend of passion, creativity and continuous learning, apart from dedication and time, writes India Today.?

Highlighting the building blocks of this field, Vijaybhoomi School of Design’s Dean Anand James Dev stresses on the importance of regular practise, thorough understanding of the principal concepts, and staying updated with evolving trends.?

The median years of prior work experience required for the role measured up to 0.8 year. Around 82% of the professionals in this role held a bachelor’s degree, while 16% had obtained a master’s or higher degree.?

James Dev suggests leaning into the power of a strong portfolio to stand out to recruiters. “Your portfolio is your calling card,” he says. This can help you showcase your potential, range of skill sets, and creativity.??

How to prepare early on? Here are his tips to march forward on the career path:

?? Gain proficiency in design softwares.?

??? Encourage yourself to explore different styles and art forms.?

?? Develop critical thinking and adaptability skills.

?? Attend workshops and galleries.

The top three locations hiring for this role include the Greater Bengaluru Area, Pune/Pimpri-Chinchwad Area, and Greater Chennai Area.?

By popular demand?

Encompassing both sales and marketing functions, the role of a demand generation associate revolves around drawing qualified leads and deriving the right results in terms of revenue, explains Anupam Singh, VP of Sales at Vyapi.?

For Demand Generation Associate, the median years of prior experience stood at 1.3 years, and around 60% of the professionals held a bachelor’s degree. Those with master’s or higher degrees stood at 32%.?

Early career professionals in the role get a front row seat at learning new tools and technologies, maintaining cross-functional communication with sales and marketing functions, and developing other related skills. “Witnessing direct impact on revenue gives demand generation associates a peek into the company’s operations from day zero,” he adds.?

Challenges in the role include the need for constant upskilling and finding the right balance in managing and optimising the quantity versus quality of the data, Singh shares.?

His suggestion for young professionals interested in the role? Create a digital portfolio and a well-crafted resume illustrating your skill sets to decision-makers.??

The Pune/Pimpri-Chinchwad Area, Greater Delhi Area, and Greater Bengaluru Area emerged as the top locations hiring for this role.?

?? Click here to read the previous edition that highlights the importance of following up after a job interview.?

Assistance required

Customer success as a role is not limited to problem-solving, but is about crafting experiences, says Pankaj Chawla, CEO of MSME Strategy Consultants.?

“The role of a customer success associate is to bridge solutions and smiles — it’s about building relationships and understanding needs. The role is the heartbeat of client satisfaction,” he shares.?

The median years of prior work experience required to break into the customer success associate job title stood at 1.8 years, with 61% of the professionals holding a bachelor’s degree and 37% with a master’s degree or higher.?

Associated challenges in the role include meeting diverse expectations, ensuring consistent satisfaction while maintaining a personalised touch, and unlocking opportunities to create lasting value, shares Chawla.?

Freshers aiming for success in the role can start at home by creating an environment that is open to new learnings and relearning. Here are some other tips:

?? Go beyond academics; understanding the industry’s pulse can be as vital as your professional degree.

?? Take up internships and join relevant clubs or workshops to pave way for a solution-driven mindset.

The title accounted for more demand in the Greater Bengaluru Area, Greater Delhi Area, Mumbai Metropolitan Region.?

Drone Pilot, Political Analyst, Creative Strategist, Campaign Associate, and Quantitative Developer were other roles on the list with median years of prior experience at less than two years.?

Methodology

Median years of experience was calculated by LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers using the median years of work experience held prior to starting in the featured title for members hired from January 1, 2019 to July 31, 2023. Education distribution results were derived by analysing the highest degree attained by members with the featured title, then calculating the number of members with each degree as a share of total degree holders for each title.

?? Think of your career as a your career is a marathon, not a sprint, says Saint Gobain India’s HR Business Partner Karthick Ravichandran. Here are some tips he suggests following to chart the path from college to workplace.?

?? What skills do tech professionals require to stay relevant and build a career in the space technology industry? Pixxel Space Technolgies’s founder Awais Ahmed shares some insights in this post.?

• Amid a tough job market and economic uncertainty, entrepreneurship has emerged as a viable career option for freshers, reports The Economic Times. For details, read here.
• What are unrelated internships and how can college students approach them? Read this piece to dig deeper into the subject.
• Does creator work as a profession require academic training? Read this expert’s take on the idea.

From polishing resumes to getting through the interviews — job search can be a tricky process to navigate. In this course, career strategist Jenny Foss covers various aspects of the process to create a lasting impression on the recruiter and help jobseekers land relevant opportunities.???

This is the 25th edition of the biweekly newsletter from Get Hired by LinkedIn News India. Each issue aims to provide insights on everything jobs-related, combined with expert views and member voices.?

Stay tuned by subscribing here and share your comments and thoughts using #GetHiredIndia.

By Dipal Desai — LinkedIn News Editor covering jobs and career development in India

Associate Community Manager: Neha Upalekar