A job description for a fresher or an intern should answer six things, in this order: what the person will do, who can apply, what it pays, where and when they work, how you will choose, and how to apply. Because a fresher has little or no full-time work history to measure, ‘who can apply’ means a degree, a branch, a year of passing and a cut-off (or a plain ‘no cut-off’), not years of experience.
Below are the ten parts, a fill-in template and six complete examples to copy: software developer, data analyst, business development associate, digital marketing intern, HR intern and customer support associate. Pay is a placeholder in each, because the figure has to be yours.
What changes when you hire freshers and interns
An experienced-hire description asks what the person has done. A fresher description asks what they can do now and will learn, and says what you offer in return. Six lines change.
| Experienced-hire JD | Fresher or intern JD |
|---|---|
| ‘3 to 5 years of experience’ | Degree, branch and year of passing; projects and internships count |
| A long list of tools | Up to five must-have skills you will check, plus a good-to-have list |
| ‘Competitive salary’ | CTC in LPA with fixed and variable parts, or the stipend per month |
| ‘Immediate joiners preferred’ | A joining window, paid training if any, service agreement, shifts |
| Results from week one | What month one and month three look like, and who mentors |
| ‘Send your résumé’ | One way to apply that works on a phone, or the placement cell route |
Put eligibility and pay near the top: a student who cannot tell from the first screen whether they qualify will move on.
The ten parts of a job description, in the order a candidate reads them
A job description does three jobs: it tells candidates whether to apply, tells placement teams whom to send, and gives your interviewers a standard to score against. Start from the work, not last year’s job description. Ask the hiring manager what the person should have done by the end of month one and month three, which three skills they must bring on day one, and who reviews their work. Then fill these ten parts.
- Job title. Use a title candidates recognise, with Fresher, Intern or Trainee where true, and leave out the city and perks. ‘Software Developer (Fresher)’ works; ‘Code Ninja’ does not.
- Summary. Two or three sentences: what the team does, what this person will do, whom they report to, and what they can do after six months.
- Responsibilities. Five to seven bullets, each starting with a verb and ending in an output: ‘Write and test three API endpoints a week, reviewed by your mentor’, not ‘Support the engineering team’.
- Must-have and good-to-have skills. Five must-haves at most, each one you will check in selection. Anything learnable in a month on the job is good-to-have.
- Eligibility. Degree and branch, year of passing, minimum CGPA or percentage (or ‘no cut-off’), backlog rule, languages, location: one per line.
- Pay. The CTC in LPA with the fixed and variable split, or the stipend per month and the payment date, plus any training period, allowance, incentive or service agreement.
- Location and work mode. City, office days if hybrid, working days, hours, shifts, and whether an intern needs their own laptop.
- Selection process. The rounds in order, how long each takes, and when candidates will hear from you.
- How to apply. One route and one last date. For college hiring, the placement cell route and the drive date.
- About the company. Two lines: what you make, for whom, team size, and where the new person will sit.
Pro tip: test it on a recent graduate
Give the draft to someone who finished college recently. Ask them to say, without looking back, what the job is, whether they can apply and what it pays. Fix every answer they get wrong.
Replace vague lines with specific ones
These are the lines worth rewriting before you post.
| Vague | Specific |
|---|---|
| Manage social media | Write and schedule [5] posts a week for LinkedIn and Instagram; report reach and clicks every Monday |
| Good communication skills | Explain a problem to a customer in clear English and [Hindi / local language], in writing and on a call |
| Knowledge of data analysis | Write a SQL query with a join and a group by; build a pivot table in Excel |
| Support the engineering team | Fix [2] bugs a week from the backlog and add a unit test for each |
| Competitive salary | CTC ₹[amount] LPA: ₹[amount] fixed and ₹[amount] variable |
Job titles candidates recognise
Titles are how candidates and placement teams find your role. Use plain, common ones. Skip cute titles such as ‘Code Ninja’ and internal grades such as L1 or Associate II.
| Role family | Titles candidates recognise |
|---|---|
| Software | Software Developer (Fresher), Associate Software Engineer, Junior Backend Developer |
| Data | Data Analyst (Fresher), Junior Data Analyst, MIS Executive |
| Sales | Business Development Associate, Business Development Executive (BDE), Inside Sales Executive |
| Marketing | Digital Marketing Intern, Social Media Executive, Content Writer Intern |
| HR | HR Intern, Talent Acquisition Intern, HR Recruiter (Fresher) |
| Support and operations | Customer Support Associate, Process Associate, Operations Executive |
| Engineering and management | Graduate Engineer Trainee, Management Trainee |
Job description template to fill in
Copy this, replace everything in square brackets and delete the lines that do not apply. Keep every heading, even where the answer is ‘none’: ‘none’ answers a question, and a missing line leaves it open.
JOB TITLE: [Role] ([Fresher / Intern / Trainee]) [Company name] | [City, state] | [On-site / Hybrid / Remote] [Full-time / Internship of number months] | Openings: [number] Reports to: [role, team] ABOUT THE ROLE [Two or three sentences: what the team does, what this person will do, and what they can do after six months.] WHAT YOU WILL DO - [Verb + task + output; five to seven bullets] YOU NEED (NO MORE THAN FIVE) - [A skill you will check in selection] GOOD TO HAVE - [Skills you can teach in the first month] ELIGIBILITY - Degree and branch: [B.E./B.Tech (branches) / BCA / BCom / MBA] - Year of passing: [year] - Minimum marks: [CGPA or percentage, or "no cut-off"] - Backlogs: [no active backlogs at joining / not a criterion] - Location: [city; relocation allowed or not] PAY AND TERMS - [CTC ₹amount LPA (fixed + variable) / Stipend ₹amount per month, paid by date] - Service agreement or notice period: [none / details] - Training, incentive, allowance: [details] - Benefits or equipment: [details / none] - Working days, hours, shifts: [details] HOW WE SELECT [Round 1], [Round 2], [Round 3]. Result within [number] working days. HOW TO APPLY [One route]. Last date: [date]. Joining: [date or month]. ABOUT [COMPANY NAME] [Two lines: what you make, for whom, team size.]
Six complete job descriptions to copy
Each example is complete and different on purpose: different degrees, pay shapes, work modes and selection rounds. Replace the bracketed parts and keep the structure.
Software developer (fresher)
It asks for one language rather than five and states the service agreement. If you hire developers every year, see hiring fresher software engineers.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPER (FRESHER), BACKEND [Company name] | [Pune] | Hybrid, [3] days in office | Full-time Reports to: [Engineering manager, payments team] About the role Join the [payments] team that builds the APIs behind [product name]. In six months you should be shipping small features on your own, with a senior engineer reviewing your code. What you will do - Build and test REST APIs in [Java / Python / Node.js] - Fix [2] bugs a week from the backlog, with a unit test for each - Trace failed requests through logs and SQL queries - Explain your changes in pull requests; join code reviews You need - One language you can code in without looking up basic syntax - Arrays, strings, hash maps and recursion; SQL joins; Git basics Good to have: a GitHub project someone else can run; basic [AWS / Azure] Eligibility - B.E./B.Tech (CSE, IT, ECE, EEE) or MCA; [2025 / 2026] pass-outs - CGPA [6.5] and above, or [no cut-off]; no active backlogs at joining Pay and terms - CTC ₹[amount] LPA, all fixed; [4] weeks of paid training - Service agreement: [none / state it here] How we select Online coding round ([2] problems, [60] minutes), technical interview on your project, then a chat with the manager. Result within [7] working days. How to apply Fill in the form with your GitHub or project link by [date]. Joining: [month]. About [Company name] [Two lines: what you make, for whom, and how big the team is.]
Data analyst (fresher)
A skills task replaces the CGPA cut-off. See hiring fresher data analysts.
DATA ANALYST (FRESHER) [Company name] | [Hyderabad] | On-site, Monday to Friday | Full-time Reports to: [Analytics lead] About the role The operations team at [Company name], a [logistics] business, needs someone to turn daily delivery data into answers for city managers. By month three you will own [3] weekly reports. What you will do - Clean and combine Excel and database data each morning - Build and refresh dashboards in [Power BI / Looker Studio] - Answer questions such as "why did delays rise in the north zone" - Document how each metric is calculated; flag numbers that look wrong You need - Excel (pivot tables, lookups) and SQL (join, group by) - Ability to explain a finding in three clear sentences Good to have: Python (pandas) or R; a dashboard you built, with its data Eligibility - Any graduate degree (maths, statistics, BSc CS, BCA, B.Tech, BCom, MBA); [2025 / 2026] pass-outs - No CGPA cut-off: we shortlist on the skills task, not on marks Pay - CTC ₹[minimum] to ₹[maximum] LPA, fixed. Your place in the range is set after the skills task. Review in [month] How we select 1. SQL and Excel task on a sample dataset (about 90 minutes) 2. Walk the analytics lead through your answers 3. Short chat with the operations head How to apply Email your résumé and a link to any analysis you have done to [careers@company.in] by [date]. Subject: Data Analyst, [your name]. Joining: [month]. About [Company name] [Two lines: what you make, for whom, and how big the team is.]
Business development associate
The incentive is in writing, and candidates choose a voice note or a written pitch. See hiring freshers for sales and business development.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE [Company name] | [Jaipur] | On-site with local travel | Full-time Reports to: [Sales manager, Rajasthan] About the role We sell [accounting software] to small shops and clinics in [Rajasthan]. You find new customers, book demos and pass warm leads to a senior account manager. Associates who meet their numbers move to closing in [9] months. Day to day - Shortlist [30] new businesses a day from our lead list and directories - Call or visit them and book a 20-minute demo - Log every conversation in the CRM the same evening - Join the weekly sales review with your numbers You need - Spoken English and Hindi (or [local language]), good enough for a sales call - Comfort with calls and meeting strangers; local travel by two-wheeler Good to have: any sales or fundraising, however small, such as a fest sponsorship or a campus ambassador role Eligibility - Any graduate (BBA, BCom, BA, BSc, B.Tech, MBA); [2025 / 2026] pass-outs - No cut-off and no backlog rule Pay - Fixed ₹[amount] a month plus ₹[amount] for each demo that becomes a paying customer; incentive rules in writing before you accept - Travel reimbursed; [5 / 6]-day week How we select Phone screen (15 minutes), a role-play where you sell us a product you use, then an interview with the sales head. Result in [5] working days. How to apply Use the form: attach your résumé and either a 60-second voice note or a 100-word written pitch of a product you use. Either is fine. Joining: [month]. About [Company name] [Two lines: what you make, for whom, and how big the team is.]
Digital marketing intern
An internship description puts duration, hours, stipend and outcome near the top.
DIGITAL MARKETING INTERN (3 MONTHS) [Company name] | Remote, India | Part-time, about [20] hours a week Reports to: [Content lead] About the internship Help run the LinkedIn and Instagram pages of [Company name], an [edtech] start-up, and see how a content plan turns into sign-ups. You leave with three published pieces, a certificate and a reference. What you will do - Draft [5] posts a week from a brief; the content lead edits them - Research keywords for [2] blog topics a month and write outlines - Track reach and clicks in a shared sheet - Run one small test, such as two headlines for one post - Join a video call every [Thursday] to review the week You need - Clear writing in English; Canva or any design tool - [20] hours a week for the full [3] months Good to have: a page you already manage, such as a college society's Instagram or a blog Eligibility - Pursuing or completed any degree; [2026 / 2027 / 2028] batch; no cut-off - Own laptop and a stable internet connection Stipend and outcome - ₹[amount] a month, paid by the [7th] of the next month - Certificate; reference on request; PPO considered on performance How we select A [90]-minute task on a made-up brief (never used for real work), then a 20-minute chat. How to apply Email [careers@company.in] with your résumé and a link to anything you have written or designed. Last date: [date]. Start date: [date]. About [Company name] [Two lines: what you make, for whom, and how big the team is.]
HR intern
It shows the exercise candidates will be asked to do, so nobody is surprised.
HR INTERN (RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING), 3 MONTHS [Company name] | [Noida] | On-site, Monday to Friday, [9:30 am to 6 pm] Reports to: [HR lead] About the internship Work with the HR lead on hiring for [sales and engineering] roles, from the first résumé screen to joining day. In three months you see one full hiring cycle and own a part of it. What you will do - Screen applications against the job description and shortlist - Post openings on job boards and send them to college placement cells - Call candidates, fix interview slots, send reminders - Update the hiring tracker every evening - Prepare joining documents and run the day-one checklist You need - Polite, clear phone and email manners; Excel or Sheets basics - Care with confidential details such as offers and candidate data Good to have: placement cell, HR club or fest-organising work Eligibility - Pursuing or completed MBA/PGDM (HR), BBA, BA (Psychology) or MSW - [2026 / 2027] batch; no cut-off; in office all five days Stipend - ₹[amount] a month; travel for college visits reimbursed - Certificate and a reference; the best intern is considered for the next HR opening How we select A 30-minute conversation with the HR lead, then one exercise: pick three of five sample résumés for a short job description and say why. How to apply Send your résumé to [hr@company.in] with "HR Intern" in the subject and one line on any HR or placement work you have done. Closing date: [date]. Start date: [date]. About [Company name] [Two lines: what you make, for whom, and how big the team is.]
Customer support associate
Shifts and in-hand pay are stated, because a support candidate needs both before applying. See hiring freshers for customer support and operations.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT ASSOCIATE (VOICE AND CHAT) [Company name] | [Coimbatore] | On-site | Full-time, rotational shifts Reports to: [Team lead, customer support] About the role You are the first person a customer reaches when an order, payment or login goes wrong. You solve what you can on the first contact and hand the rest to the right team with a clear note. What you will do - Answer calls and chats; resolve the issue or escalate with details - Follow the checklists; tell your team lead when they do not fit - Log every ticket in [ticket tool]; reply to emails within [time] You need - Clear spoken and written English, and [Tamil / Hindi] for customers - Typing speed of at least [number] words a minute; calm under pressure Good to have: any customer-facing work, such as a retail counter or a fest registration desk Eligibility - Any graduate; [2024 / 2025 / 2026] pass-outs; no CGPA cut-off - Backlogs allowed if cleared by joining; ready for rotational shifts Pay and shifts - CTC ₹[amount] LPA (about ₹[amount] in hand a month) - Shift allowance ₹[amount] after [10 pm]; cab for late shifts - [9]-hour shifts including break, 5 days a week, rotating weekly offs - [3] weeks of paid training before live calls How we select Written English and typing exercise (20 minutes), a mock call, then an HR round on shifts. Offers go out within [one week]. How to apply Apply online, or walk in with a printed résumé at [address] on [date], [time]. Carry photo ID and your degree marksheet. Joining: [month]. About [Company name] [Two lines: what you make, for whom, and how big the team is.]
Inclusive wording: describe the work, not the person
Write about the work and the skill, not the type of person. Lines like these shut out people who could do the job.
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| Young, energetic candidates | What the work needs: ‘handles about [30] chats a shift, with breaks’ |
| He will report to the manager | You will report to the manager |
| Excellent communication skills | Explains a problem clearly in English and [Hindi / local language], on a call and in writing |
| Only from reputed colleges | Graduates of any college; the first round is a skills exercise |
State physical requirements only where the job has them, such as local travel by two-wheeler. Add one line inviting candidates to ask for adjustments: ‘Tell us if you need extra time, a different format or a ground-floor room for the interview.’
Screening questions to add to the application
Screening questions confirm what the job description asks for before you read an application. Pick five or six from this list; a candidate should be able to answer them on a phone in two minutes.
| Question | Why you ask it |
|---|---|
| In which year do you complete, or did you complete, your degree? | Sorts applicants by batch without reading each résumé |
| Do you have any active backlogs? | Only if your policy depends on it |
| Can you work from [city] from [date]? | Confirms location and the joining window |
| Are you free for [20] hours a week for [3] months? | For interns: checks availability against exams and other commitments |
| Share one project or piece of work and say what you did in it | Shows what the person can do beyond marks |
| Which of these have you used: SQL, Excel, Power BI, Python? | A quick tool check for analyst roles |
| Are you comfortable with rotational shifts? | For support roles: no surprises about shifts at the offer stage |
On LineupX you can add questions like these as screening questions on a posting. ‘Generate with AI’ drafts the job description for you to edit, and posting is free, with no hidden charges and no limit on the number of posts. Placement teams at 100+ institutions and edtechs can share the role with the right students. Post a job free, post an internship free, or see other free job posting sites in India.
Mistakes that cost you good applicants
- ‘Fresher with 2 years of experience.’ It contradicts itself. Ask for projects, internships or a portfolio instead, or write an experienced-hire description.
- A 15-tool wish list. It tells a fresher they are not qualified, or invites them to claim every tool. Keep five must-haves you will check.
- Hidden pay. ‘Best in industry’ and ‘as per company norms’ push the question to the offer stage. Write the number or the range.
- Vague duties. ‘Handle day-to-day operations’ does not say what Monday looks like. Name the task, the tool and the output.
- Surprises at the offer stage. A service agreement, night shifts or ‘bring your own laptop’ belong in the job description.
- A borrowed description. A larger company’s text brings its tools and requirements along. Write from your own team’s work.
- Mixed roles. ‘Developer cum tester cum support’ is three jobs. Hire for one and say what you will teach.
Checklist before you post
- The title is one a fresher would recognise, with Fresher, Intern or Trainee where true.
- Five to seven duties, each starting with a verb and naming an output.
- Five must-have skills at most; the rest are good-to-have.
- Eligibility lists degree, branch, year of passing, cut-off or ‘none’, and the backlog rule.
- Pay is stated: CTC with fixed and variable parts, or stipend with the payment date.
- Location, work mode, working days and shift timings are stated.
- Service agreement, training period and equipment rule are stated, or marked ‘none’.
- Every selection round is named, with the date by which candidates hear back.
- There is one way to apply and one last date.
- It was written for this opening, not copied from last year’s.
- A recent graduate can say in one sentence what the job is.
After you select someone, the next document is the offer. For interns, see the internship offer letter format, which has clauses for paid, unpaid, remote and PPO-linked internships. If you hire through colleges, see how to run a campus recruitment drive.
How long should a job description for freshers be?
Long enough to answer the candidate’s six questions and no longer: usually one page, which is a two-minute read. When a draft runs past that, the cause is nearly always a long skills list or a long company history. Cut those first.
What do I write instead of years of experience for a fresher role?
Write the degree and branch, the year of passing, any CGPA or backlog rule, and the two or three skills you will check in selection. Say that projects, internships and college work count. Avoid ‘fresher with 2 years of experience’: it contradicts itself, and a fresher reading it cannot tell whether to apply.
Should I put the salary or stipend in the job description?
Yes. State the CTC in LPA with its fixed and variable parts, or the stipend per month and the payment date. A candidate who has to guess may skip the posting, or apply and drop out at the offer. If the figure depends on a skills round, give the range and say how you will place the candidate in it.
What is the difference between a job description and a job specification?
A job description says what the person will do: duties, reporting line, location and pay. A job specification says what the person must bring: qualifications, skills and any experience. In a fresher posting they usually sit in one document, as the duties section and the ‘you need’ and eligibility sections.
How often should we update a job description?
Whenever the duties, the team, the pay or the selection rounds change, and before each new hiring season. Re-read it against the current opening before you repost it: a reused description is how old tools, last year’s pay and the wrong batch year end up in front of candidates.
Do I need a separate description for campus hiring?
Keep one core description and add a short campus note: the colleges you are visiting, the drive date and mode, and how students register through the placement cell. Placement teams can schedule a drive more easily when eligibility and pay are clear.