How To Find A Job In India When Returning to India?
Let’s say you have decided to move back to India and you plan to take up a job after your return to India. When do you start finding a job? Should you move back before finding a job? How do you find a job in India without being in India? Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about job search in India below.
Is finding a job in India from outside India difficult?
The popular opinion is that companies place a very high value on NRIs returning to India due to their vast experience and global exposure. This is partly true but many times, people outside India have to struggle harder to land a job in India without being physically present in India. The biggest reason for that is that recruiters in India don’t always trust people to move back to India. Most companies assume that people are just trying to find options and get an idea of their value in India and that they will not move back once they get an offer. I have heard this from my friends as well as faced this myself.
To give you an example, when I was in the US and looking for a job, I reached out to a fairly senior recruiter on Linkedin introducing myself and my plans to move back. He asked me to reach out to him once I land in India. I also had a couple of informal chats with people in the recruiting industry. They narrated instances of people abroad interviewing, getting offers and then not going forward with it, leading to some companies not interviewing folks outside India.
So, don’t assume that just because you have international experience, you are going to have recruiters falling over each other to hire you.
When should you start looking for a job?
In the US, the time from getting the interview to getting the offer on average is around 4-6 weeks depending on the number of rounds of interviews. In India, the total time is slightly higher than in the US. There are more rounds of interviews and more time is spent in scheduling interviews than in the US.
If you have already decided to return to India, you should start building your LinkedIn network at least a year in advance (ideally you should always be building your network). You can start actively looking about 4-6 months in advance of your date of moving back to India.
Should you move back to India before finding a job?
To answer this question, consider the savings you have, the demand of the field you are in and the years of experience you have. If your move depends on you getting this job, then don’t move back before finding a job. My honest opinion is that if your decision to move back is voluntary but you cannot go a few months without income, you should reconsider this decision to move back and increase your savings before taking the plunge. Having that financial cushion will minimise your stress level should things not go as per your plans.
When I was making this move, I interviewed and landed a job while in the US. However, things did not work out in the negotiation phase and the company suddenly decided to put the position on hold. I would have liked to move back with a job in hand but because things did not work out, I decided to move back without one. I did land one within 2 months of starting to find one after moving back so things worked out in the end.
Have faith in your skills, have savings to fall back on and do your research on your area of expertise – you should be good!
How many years of experience is valued in India?
Generally speaking, it is easier to find a job for mid-career professionals with 6-15 years of experience (this age is also the sweet spot while deciding when to move back to India). Any less than that and you are treated on par with people already in India. Any more than that and you are in senior leadership territory where the number of openings is fewer and most recruiting happens through networking and referrals. My wife has an MS in Finance and had a couple of years of experience before moving back to India. We felt that her US experience was valued less than we had hoped for.
How to find a job in India before returning?
Explore internal transfer
This should be your first option to explore if your company has a subsidiary in India. This should be a no-brainer if you are in one of the top tech companies because in most cases you get to keep your stock awards even if you move to India. This can make your compensation huge by Indian standards. Yes, they will eventually adjust your Indian salary but if you have substantial vests already for a few more years, why not take full advantage of it? Even if you are unhappy in your current job, it can lead to a hassle-free move. You can always change jobs after returning to India.
Update your resume
There is a common opinion that changing the phone number and address on your resume leads to higher interview calls. While I’m not in favour of lying, I tend to agree with this approach since some companies have strict no-hiring from abroad policies. However, in your introductory call be open and honest about your plans and don’t keep the recruiter in the dark about your location. Eventually, they will probably find out. Also, recruiters in India do not email to check your availability. They directly give you a call on the provided phone number which means you might get calls at odd hours in the night.
Activate your network in India
Start by activating your network in India and sending out messages to hiring managers and recruiters on LinkedIn. Much of the workforce is very active on the usual social media websites as well as some of the newer anonymous ones (TeamBlind, Fishbowl etc). Blind has a large Indian user base and people ask strangers for referrals all the time. Asking for referrals on such platforms has higher odds of converting due to the relatively lower number of people compared to LinkedIn. I found Indian job boards’ effectiveness very limited and the postings of subpar quality. Your network, social media and to an extent, applying on company websites are your best bet.
Prepare a case for moving back to India
Before talking to recruiters, prepare to make a case for why you want to move back. For some people, it can be hard to believe that someone from Western countries wants to return to India. Recruiters will ask you in a hundred different ways to gauge whether you are serious about your plans to move back. Have your reasons ready (family, parents etc). If you have a tentative date in mind to move back to India, mention your plans. If you have secured admission to a school for your child in India, mention that. If your parents require your presence in India, mention that in passing. Communicate whatever adds weight to your argument of moving back. Every single person that I interviewed with while in the US asked me why I wanted to move back. If they have even the slightest of doubts that you will not move back, they will not proceed with you.
Be polite and courteous
There is a misconception in India that NRIs think too highly of themselves and look down upon Indians in India. Do not contribute to this! Yes, some of the recruiters are unprofessional but be patient, polite and courteous at all times and you will eventually find great people to work with. When I was looking for a job, I did have no-shows and cases where the recruiter forgot to inform the hiring manager. This is unfortunately not all that uncommon. Keep your ego aside and give yourself the best chance to make it work.
What kind of salaries can you expect in India?
As a thumb rule, you can expect 30-40% of your salary in the US. There will always be outliers on both the lower end as well as the higher end but this is the generally accepted number. For example, salaries of 50-60L have become a lot more common nowadays for >5-7 years of experience, especially in software development. Salaries in Data Science & Analytics (my area of expertise) have also been rising for experienced folks.
What does the negotiation process look like?
The negotiation process I experienced in India was not too different from the one in the US. One key difference – the total compensation (TC) number in the US is much more transparent than the comparable CTC (cost to company) number as it is called in India. There are a bunch of factors that get included in “CTC” that you would not normally expect – health insurance, retirement contribution, internet reimbursement etc.) which reduces your net in-hand salary. Not all companies do this but make sure you understand these terms fully so that you can make an informed decision.
Yes, finding a job in India from outside India is hard but not impossible. Leverage your network, have some savings and loads of patience! Don’t fret too much on whether you should move back without a job. We didn’t know what we had in store when we landed outside India, right? But we figured it out. The same goes for returning to India. Trust your instincts, don’t let toxic posts on social media get to you and ask for help when you need it – eventually, you will figure it all out.
