‘No placements like India’: Indian man in Paris explains why job hunting in Europe is tough

An Indian man living in Paris has sparked a discussion online after sharing his experience of job hunting in Europe, pointing out key differences from India’s placement-driven system. The man, identified as Paras, posted a video explaining why securing a job abroad can often feel more challenging for international students and professionals.An Indian man shared how job hunting in Europe differed from India. (Instagram/paras_balani)(Also read: European boss stops Indian employee from working past midnight in wholesome exchange)In the video, Paras said, “I’ll tell you one reason why job hunting is so difficult here, a main reason. The things that you usually see for students in India don’t happen here. In India, there are college placements. If you are qualified and have the skills, plus your networking is decent, your job is secured.”He added that the structured campus placement system familiar to many in India is largely absent in Europe. “But when you come to Europe, make sure to remember that nothing like that happens here. There are no placement events. Definitely, there are job fairs where you can try your luck, but here you have to network.”‘Networking plays a crucial role’Highlighting the importance of professional connections, Paras stressed that networking is often the deciding factor in landing a job. “This is where LinkedIn plays a very important role. You can connect with people and here almost, I think in my personal experience, 90% of the work gets done through networking,” he said.He further advised job seekers to actively communicate and build relationships. “So make sure that you talk to people, communicate, put your point across, and convince them through good manipulation, so that you can get a job.”(Also read: Over 4,00,000 KitKat bars stolen in Europe, brand confirms: ‘Thieves made a break with more than 12 tonnes’)Paras also noted differences in hiring processes, saying, “Second, having five interview rounds is very rare here. You don’t have to give five rounds of interviews for any company. Here it’s maximum two or three.”According to him, employers in Europe may also adopt informal methods to assess candidates. “After two rounds, if they still have any doubt, they will definitely ask you to meet outside, like in a cafe, to get to know each other better and sometimes in an informal way, you actually get to know the real candidate.”Paras concluded his video saying, “So this is the culture. It’s formal and practical here, but at the same time, people here put a lot of effort into finding a better candidate to balance it out. But it’s mandatory to network here.”Watch the clip here:Mixed reactions onlineThe clip, shared with the caption “How you can land a job in Europe”, has prompted varied reactions from viewers. One user wrote, “This is so true, networking is everything abroad.” Another said, “India placements spoil us, real world is very different.”(Also read: Chinese woman quits teaching job to sell coffins to Europe, earns $6 million in revenue)(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)