Not getting placed through campus isn't a career setback — it's simply a different starting route. In fact, many companies hire more through off-campus channels than campus drives. The key is a systematic, multi-channel approach.
Channel 1 — Off-Campus Drives: Companies regularly post off-campus hiring drives on their career pages and social media. Follow Freshersworld, GeeksforGeeks job section, and company LinkedIn pages for announcements. Mass recruiters like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and HCL conduct quarterly off-campus drives across cities. Register on their career portals and apply when drives are announced.
Channel 2 — Job Portals: Create optimized profiles on Naukri.com (update every 2 weeks), LinkedIn (with keyword-rich headline), Indeed, and Internshala (for internship-to-job pathways). Set up job alerts for 'fresher,' 'entry-level,' and your specific domain. Apply to 3-5 well-matched roles daily with tailored resumes.
Channel 3 — Direct Applications: Visit the careers page of every company you'd like to work for and apply directly. Many companies have a 'Freshers' or 'University Hiring' section. Direct applications sometimes get priority over portal applications because they show specific interest in the company.
Channel 4 — Networking & Referrals: Connect with college seniors, professors, and family contacts who work at your target companies. Alumni referrals are powerful — join your college's alumni network on LinkedIn. Attend tech meetups, hackathons, and career fairs for in-person networking.
Channel 5 — Skill Building While Searching: Use the job search period productively — complete certifications, build projects, contribute to open-source, and participate in hackathons. Each of these adds to your resume and demonstrates initiative.