Key Highlights
- Top role in Delhi: Programmatic Advertising Associate leads fresher demand with 50% hiring intent.
- Mumbai’s favourite: Digital Marketing Executive leads demand in Mumbai at 48%.
- Sector trend: Marketing and advertising fresher hiring intent stands at 59% in HY2 2026, down slightly from 62%.
- Overall jobs up: India’s total fresher hiring intent rose to 75% in HY2 2026 from 73%.
- Skills that matter: Campaign optimisation, audience targeting, search marketing and performance analytics.
The festive season is not just busy for shoppers and brands. It is also creating job opportunities for young graduates. According to a report by TeamLease EdTech, demand for entry-level talent in digital advertising and marketing is rising as India enters the festive quarter.
The Most In-Demand Fresher Roles
In the national capital, Programmatic Advertising Associate has emerged as the top in-demand fresher role, with a hiring intent of 50 per cent. In Mumbai, Digital Marketing Executive leads demand at 48 per cent.
Both roles feature among the top five fresher roles nationally, showing how important digital skills have become for entry-level jobs.
What Is Programmatic Advertising?
Programmatic advertising is the automated buying and selling of online ad space using software and data. Instead of manually placing ads on websites or apps, companies use technology to show ads to the right people at the right time, often in real time. During festive sales, when brands spend heavily on online ads, this skill becomes especially valuable.
A Slight Dip, but Still Strong
Fresher hiring intent in the marketing and advertising sector stood at 59 per cent in HY2 2026, slightly lower than 62 per cent in HY1 2026. Despite this moderation, the report says demand for specialised entry-level roles remains strong, especially for candidates with hands-on knowledge of ad platforms and campaign performance.
Overall Fresher Hiring Improves
Across sectors, India’s overall fresher hiring intent rose to 75 per cent in HY2 2026, up from 73 per cent in the first half. “This broader improvement underscores the importance of aligning education and training with evolving industry requirements,” the report said.
Skills Employers Are Looking For
Employers want freshers who can apply what they have learned, not just know the theory. Key skills include:
- Campaign optimisation: Improving ad results while controlling costs
- Audience targeting: Reaching the right customers
- Media planning: Choosing where and when ads should run
- Search marketing: Ads and visibility on search engines
- Performance analytics: Reading data to measure what works
The report also highlighted performance marketing analytics as an important domain skill.
How Freshers Can Prepare
The report advised freshers to focus on industry-aligned certifications and applied learning. In practice, that can mean:
- Completing recognised digital marketing and ad platform certifications
- Running small practice campaigns or internships
- Building a portfolio that shows real results
- Learning basic data and spreadsheet skills
Why It Matters
With brands moving more of their marketing budgets online, digital advertising has become a strong entry point for graduates from many backgrounds, including commerce, arts and management. It offers a path where practical skills can matter as much as degrees.
What Comes Next
As festive campaigns peak around Diwali, demand for digital marketing talent is likely to stay high, giving prepared freshers a valuable window to start their careers.
With inputs from IANS.