Most entry-level employees start looking for other job opportunities within the first year of working. Salary, promotion and role change were cited as the top reasons for seeking new job opportunities elsewhere

Managing entry-level candidates’ job search experience is the trickiest for hiring managers. To understand what factors, influence an entry-level candidate’s job search experience, especially their first job experience, PocketJobs – an exclusive platform by TimesJobs for entry-level hiring surveyed 1,138 respondents.

Nearly 63 percent of respondents claimed that job portals are the most effective medium to get hired at the entry-level. Instead of simply applying for jobs, candidates prefer to directly call (46 percent) and mail the recruiters (44 percent). 

What is an interesting note in job search preference for entry-level candidates is that 90 percent of candidates find map-based (location-based/nearby) job search features useful. 

In the survey, candidates highlighted that while applying for jobs they would like to see information in the following order:

• Salary
• Location
• Role
• Company Name
• Domain/Industry

Most people search for jobs at night:

When asked about preferred time for job search, most respondents said that they search for jobs in night time after 9 pm (52 percent), followed by morning time when people are travelling to the workplace (35 percent). 

Job change pattern

About 96 percent of entry-level staff think of job change within one year of working revealed the survey. The top five reasons cited for seeking new job opportunities were (in order of preference): 

1. Salary
2. Promotion
3. Role change 
4. Benefits 
5. Nearby locations 

The PocketJobs survey went to analysing how these respondents had landed their first job. Most (44 percent) survey takers said that they got their first job through an internet search, followed by 40 percent who said that they got their career breakthrough a reference. Another 10 percent of respondents said that HR consultants helped them get their first job and the remaining 6 percent said that they landed their first job reference through a newspaper. 

Sanjay Goyal, Business Head, TimesJobs & TechGig said, “Internet search is the preferred mode of job search, especially at the entry-level where professionals want to quickly check for new jobs, apply right away and find more opportunities. Our survey also hints at the same. Another revelation from our survey is that 97 percent of respondents said that English is the preferred language, even as compared to Hindi and vernacular languages. This also subtly hints that the user mindset for internet portals is maturing in India”.