2.5 months unemployed. 15+ interviews. 4 interview rounds. Still no offer. Need Advice.
I’m a 2025 graduate with 1 YOE, and I've been actively job hunting since April. It’s honestly been one of the most frustrating phases of my career.
I didn’t get placed through college. I was shortlisted for a non-tech role, but I turned it down because I wanted to build my career in software development.
My first job was at an AI startup, where I worked for 6 months. The salaries were repeatedly delayed and paid in multiple installments, so I decided to leave. I then joined another startup and worked there for 3 months. After my probation ended, they asked me to sign a 2-year employment bond. I wasn’t ready committing to that, so I decided to leave, even though I didn't have another offer lined up. My LWD was in April. Few Indian Startups just make you work more with cheaper cost. BS experience.
Since then, I’ve attended 15+ interviews.
A company invited me for a walk-in, took me through 4 interview rounds, and I genuinely thought I had the job. After all that, they told me they were actually looking for someone with 3+ YOE. I wish they had mentioned that before putting me through the entire process.
I’ve also received 6 offers from very small startups, but after my previous experiences with delayed salaries and instability, I wasn’t comfortable taking that risk again. Right now, I’m mainly targeting mid-sized companies and MNCs where I can focus on learning and growing without worrying about whether I’ll get paid on time.
I do have Naukri Premium, my profile gets decent recruiter views, and recruiters often reach out. But many conversations never turn into scheduled interviews. I’ve also tried 5 internal referrals, but most of those roles eventually went to existing employees or people already known to the team.
At this point, it feels like I’m doing everything I'm supposed to do applying consistently, preparing for interviews, networking, and improving my resume but I’m still unable to cross the finish line.
If you’ve been in a similar situation, what helped you finally land a good role? Is there something I should be doing differently? Pls help.
Also, if your company is hiring or you’re open to referring someone for Full Stack or Backend Developer roles in Chennai, Bengaluru, or Remote, would be really grateful. Happy to share my resume. Thank you.