What are startup recruiters looking for in college freshers

Hiring is one of the most critical decisions for businesses, be it large corporates or startups. And within the ambit of hiring, the recruitment of freshers is particularly challenging, given how companies hardly know whether the candidate they hire will live up to expectations. This is a major reason for why many startups with good financial backing try to maintain a particular ratio of experienced candidates and freshers during recruitment.

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If you are a student and wish to work in a startup after graduating from college, keep in mind a few important things that startup recruiters often look for in college freshers.

Fire in the belly

There are two types of people - those who want to settle down in a job and those who want to make a difference and forge ahead. Startups eagerly look for candidates who belong to the second category and know how to turn any idea into a product that they can then sell to people. Make sure you have that fire in the belly to impress the next recruiter who interviews you.

Sense of responsibility

Since everyone at a startup has to work out of their comfort zone to make things happen, there's hardly any time left for daily task reminders and meetings. Startups thus seek employees who can take the ownership of the projects and finish them without much supervision.

Ready to think beyond 9-to-6

No hard feelings, but if you're looking forward to a working in a 9-to-6 job, startups are not meant for you. They want people for whom a typical working day starts in the morning and ends when they've finished their work - it could be 6 pm, or maybe even 9 pm. So, be ready to think beyond fixed timings if you want to see yourself working for some of the fastest growing startups in the country.

No honeymoon period

Those who've been in the corporate sector for some time may understand the meaning behind term 'honeymoon period’. For others, it's the initial training period for a newly hired employee, during which he is supposed to learn everything about the organisation. The reason it's called a honeymoon period is because the employee doesn't have any production targets to meet on daily basis during the training period. So, in a way, he can learn (or not learn) and get paid for the same. Unfortunately, there's no such honeymoon period in startups. Except for the initial few days, everybody, regardless of whether they are experienced candidates or freshers, has to work and add value to the company. So, startup recruiters want those who are ready to take up this challenge and give their 100 percent right from day one.

Leadership quality

Startups may not want to hire employees who simply follow orders. Rather, they want leaders who understand the core of every business problem, can put aside personal issues, and are ready to walk the extra mile to make things happen every single time.

Those who say it's difficult to get into good startups are completely mistaken. If you have what it takes to survive in the startup environment, then any startup would love to have you onboard. So, keep in mind the points mentioned here and prepare yourself accordingly for the interviews.

Are you working in a startup and often participate in recruitments? Please share your feedback on what else you look for in fresher students while hiring them.