Bengaluru:“I’ll give you my entire first month’s salary if your referral gets me hired.”The plea, once rare and awkward, is becoming increasingly common on LinkedIn and Reddit, where freshers and early-career professionals are promising their first paycheque — or even cash incentives — for referrals that could open the door to a job.The posts, spanning roles in data analytics, AI, software development, product design and user experience, reflect growing frustration among candidates who say hundreds of applications have yielded few interviews despite strong academic credentials and relevant skills.One 22-year-old IIT (BHU) graduate seeking a data analytics role in Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune or as remote work said he had applied for more than 600 jobs with an ATS (applicant tracking system)-friendly resume, but had little success.“I am 100% serious,” he wrote on Reddit, offering his entire first month’s salary to anyone whose referral resulted in him getting a job. To demonstrate his commitment, he even offered to sign a DocuSign contract.Another recent MBA graduate with a bachelor’s degree in IT said he had submitted more than 300 applications for data analytics roles without success. Highlighting his portfolio, IT internship and professional certifications, he promised to hand over his first month’s salary to anyone whose referral would lead to a concrete job offer, admitting he was “desperate”.Industry experts say such posts underscore the intense competition for entry-level and junior roles as companies become more selective in hiring. While demand remains strong for specialised skills in AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing, candidates are increasingly relying on referrals to cut through the flood of applications reaching recruiters.“The willingness of some freshers to offer their first month’s salary as a referral bonus reflects the intense competition for entry-level opportunities, but it should not become the norm,” said Anjali Raghuvanshi, chief people officer at Randstad India & GCC.“Freshers should focus on building in-demand skills, practical experience and professional networks instead of treating referrals as the primary route to employment,” she added.Ray Wang, CEO of US-based Constellation Research, said the phenomenon reflects the difficult employment landscape facing young graduates. “Competition for jobs with established companies and startups has never been more intense and is down to who you know, not what school you attended or what scores you came with,” Wang exolained.Warning that the rapid adoption of AI is widening the gap between expertise and experience, he said: “Experience is not a commodity because humans learn from mistakes and real-world situations. We are robbing the next generation because they do not have the opportunity to learn and get paid in a world of AI.”
