What Recruiters Value Most in Freshers;
When you’re a fresher, it’s easy to assume that not having a job means you have nothing to show. But that’s not true at all. Recruiters look beyond just work experience — they care more about your skills, learning attitude, and practical knowlege.
Here’s what a recent survey of 100 recruiters revealed:
- 30% said they focus on Skills and Certifications (like Excel, Power BI, SEO, etc.)
- 25% value Internships or College Projects that show you’ve applied your knowledge practically
- 20% look at Academic Achievements (high GPA, rank, subject awards)
- 15% consider your Extracurricular Activities (clubs, fests, competitions)
- 10% appreciate Volunteering or Leadership roles
More than half of the recruiters prioritize things you can build on your own like learning skills or doing short internships rather than just past job titles.
This means you need to have what it takes to stand out as a fresher, you just need to present it properly in your resume or interview.
Most Common Types of Fresher Achievements
- Academic Projects – 28%
- Internships – 25%
- Certifications – 20%
- Volunteering – 17%
- Personal Projects – 10%
55% of listed fresher achievements are self-initiated (projects, certifications, volunteering) — meaning you can control what recruiters see.
Hackathons and Case Competitions
Even if you didn’t win, participating in a case competition or hackathon shows problem-solving, collaboration, and pressure handling.
Example:
“Top 5 finalists among 600+ teams in an IIM Indore case challenge on sustainability innovation.”
These are ideal for your internship resume with no experience, recruiters love seeing action over theory. Participate in Case Competitions and Hackathons of premier institutes like IIT’s and IIM’s which will create a more significant impact in your resume. These not only portray you as a initiator or good presenter but also sell a lot about your technical skills like Power Point, Excel and Analytics.
Ideal Tools For Creating Impact
| Tool | Best Use |
|---|---|
| Unstop | Competitions, Internships, Projects |
| Canva | Design creative resumes |
| Salahkart Resume Builder | Convert bullets to smart impact lines |
Salahkart’s resume tool includes an auto-formatting achievement section (https://www.salahkart.com/editor?new=true) designed specifically for students.
Use Action Words and Quantify Everything
Instead of:
“I attended a financial modeling course.”
Write:
“Completed a 5-week certification in Financial Modeling using Excel; built models projecting company cash flows with 95% accuracy.”
Always combine:
Action Verb + Skill/Tool + Result/Impact
This approach transforms effort into resume-worthy results.
Refer to the blog https://admin.salahkart.com/top-5-resume-mistakes-to-steer-clear-of/ to avoid mistakes in Resume.
Even Passion Projects Count
Personal wins often speak louder than internships. Some examples:
- A newsletter you ran
- A YouTube channel or blog
- A freelancing gig that you have worked on
- An app or website you built
“Built a Instagram page regarding MBA — reached 12,000+ followers and 25M+ Views across 3 months via organic SEO.”
This shows creativity, self-discipline, and relevance — especially useful in emerging careers and digital roles.
Remember company always takes the bet on the person not only the technical skills or prior work experience. Skills like Storytelling and Public Speaking also give you an edge over others in the interview.
Having no work experience doesn’t mean having no value. By highlighting your skills, achievements, certifications, and leadership, you can create a compelling story of potential.
And tools like Salahkart help students organize and present this story — with resume formats, bullet examples, and trackers tailored for freshers.
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