How to write a resume for jobs in India

The Indian resume at a glance

• Most employers say resume; you’ll also see “CV”. Either is fine.
• One page for freshers, up to two pages with experience.
• Start with a short summary of what you offer, not just what you want.
• Education with degree, institution, year and CGPA or percentage.
• Skills, then experience or internships in reverse-chronological order.
• Contact details: name, phone, email, city, and LinkedIn or GitHub if relevant.

If you’re a fresher

• Lead with education, internships and projects, since they’re your experience.
• For each project, say what you built, the tools you used and the result.
• Include certifications and coding or competition results that match the role.
• Keep extracurriculars short and relevant: leadership, teamwork, results.

What to leave out

Older Indian resumes often included many personal details. Most employers, especially larger companies, no longer need them. Leave these off unless the employer asks:

• A photo.
• Date of birth, gender, marital status, religion or caste.
• Father’s name and full home address.
• Aadhaar, PAN or other ID numbers. Share them only when an employer formally asks.
• A declaration such as “I hereby declare that the above information is true”. It’s outdated and takes space.

Tailor it to each job

• Search Naukri, LinkedIn and, for freshers, Internshala, and keep your portal profiles in line with your resume.
• Use the job description’s keywords for skills you genuinely have; portals rank profiles by them.
• Be ready for questions on current and expected CTC and your notice period.
• Lead with the project or internship closest to the role.

Cover letter

Indian employers rarely need a long cover letter. A short cover note in the email or portal, naming the role and your two strongest matches, is usually enough.

Common mistakes

• A long objective statement at the top.
• Listing every technology you’ve touched instead of what you can actually use.
• Three-page resumes for fresher roles.
• Portal profiles that contradict the resume you send.

Sample resume

A fictional example in the local format. Use it as a pattern, not a script.

Why it works

• One page, with education first, as a fresher.
• CGPA given with its scale.
• Internship and projects with the tools used and a result.
• No photo, date of birth, father’s name, ID numbers or declaration.

Example: turning a duty into a result

Fresher, software role

Tools, users and a measurable result turn a project title into evidence.

By career stage

Graduate or first job

One page. Education, internships and projects first, with your CGPA or percentage, the tools you used and what each project achieved.

Changing careers

Lead with a summary naming the target role, then the projects, certifications or courses that prove the new skills. Keep older, unrelated roles short.

Experienced

Up to two pages. Put experience first with results and scale (team size, users, revenue), and be ready to discuss current and expected CTC and your notice period.

Resume keywords for ATS

Applicant tracking systems and recruiters search for the skills a posting names. Examples for common roles; use only the ones that are true for you, in the posting’s own words.

Software developer

Java, Spring Boot, React, REST APIs, SQL, Git, AWS

Data analyst

SQL, Excel, Power BI, Python (pandas), data visualisation, dashboards

Sales executive

B2B sales, lead generation, CRM, target achievement, client relationships

Questions