How to Make a Resume in India: Format, Personal Details and Worked Examples

Quick answer: To make a resume, list your contact details, a two-line summary, your skills, your work experience or projects (newest first), and your education. Write each point as a result, not a duty, and use the same words the job post uses. Save it as a simple, one-column PDF of one page (freshers) or two pages (experienced), and leave out personal details the employer has not asked for.

The rest of this guide covers the parts that are specific to India: when you need a resume, a CV or a biodata, which personal details still make sense, how to show CGPA, and how to rewrite a weak bullet into a strong one, with worked examples.

Resume, CV or biodata: which one do you need?

Indians often use the three words as if they mean the same thing. They don't.

If a job ad says "send your CV", most private employers in India still mean a resume. Send a long CV only when the role is academic or research-based. For the personal-details format, see our guide to the biodata format.

Also read: 185 Resume Action Verbs That Make Your Experience Sound Like Achievement

What Indian recruiters and job portals look for

Many private-sector resumes in India are first filtered by software or found through a keyword search before a person reads them. On Naukri and LinkedIn, recruiters search the candidate database with terms like a skill, a tool, a city and years of experience. Many companies also run applications through an applicant tracking system (ATS), which pulls the text out of your file.

So:

• Use the job post's own words. If the post says "Tally ERP" and "GST returns", write those exact terms (if you have the skills), not just "accounting software".

• Keep the layout plain. Text inside images, two-column designs, tables and headers or footers can be read in the wrong order or skipped by the software. A single column with clear headings is the safest choice.

On file format, Naukri's profile FAQ suggests PDF, RTF, DOC or DOCX and a file under 2 MB if an upload fails. Export a text-based PDF from Word or Google Docs, not a scanned photo of a printout.

Campus placements are different. Some colleges' training and placement cells give a fixed resume template that every student must use. If yours does, follow it exactly. Your effort goes into the content, not the design.

What goes on a resume, in order

1. Name and contact: full name, mobile number, a professional email address, city, and a LinkedIn or portfolio link (GitHub for developers). A full home address isn't needed.

2. Summary (2–3 lines): who you are, your main skill, and what you're looking for. "B.Com graduate with 2 years in accounts payable, skilled in Tally and GST filing, looking for an accounts executive role in Pune" works. "Seeking a challenging position in a reputed organisation" says nothing.

3. Skills: 6–10 skills that match the job, grouped if useful (Tools, Languages, Domain).

4. Work experience: job title, company, city, months and years, then 3–5 bullets per job.

5. Projects and internships: essential for freshers, optional for experienced people.

6. Education: degree, college, university, year, and CGPA or percentage.

7. Certifications and achievements: only ones that relate to the job, such as NPTEL courses, a hackathon result, or an NCC certificate for a role that values it.

Freshers should put Education and Projects above experience. Experienced candidates should put Work experience first and shorten education to a few lines. If you have a break in your work history, our guide on how to explain a career gap shows how to show it honestly.

Personal details: what to include and what to leave out

Older Indian resumes often had a long "Personal Details" block. There is no single rule here; it depends on where you're applying. This is current practice for most private-sector hiring:

Why the difference? Government recruitment forms collect identity details to verify you against your certificates. For example, the Staff Selection Commission's registration instructions ask for your father's name, mother's name and date of birth exactly as they appear on your Class 10 certificate. A private employer doesn't need them to shortlist you. If a company does ask for a photo or date of birth, give it.

Never print your Aadhaar number on a resume. UIDAI's own dos and don'ts tell holders not to share their Aadhaar openly in the public domain, and resumes get forwarded and stored widely.

CGPA or percentage?

Write the score in the form your university gives it: "CGPA 8.2/10" or "72%". Always show the scale, because "8.2" alone is unclear.

If an employer asks for a percentage and you have a CGPA, use your university's official conversion formula. It's usually printed on the marksheet or transcript, or published by the university. Formulas differ between universities, so don't use a random online calculator.

Freshers usually list Class 10 and Class 12 marks too, because many campus recruiters set cut-offs for them. After a few years of work, the degree alone is enough.

Turning duties into achievements: worked examples

This is where most resumes fall flat. A duty tells the recruiter what your job was. An achievement tells them how well you did it. A simple formula: action verb + what you did + result (with a number if you can).

Example 1: experienced, sales

• Before: Responsible for handling dealer accounts in the region.

• After: Managed 28 dealer accounts across Nagpur and Wardha; grew quarterly orders from ₹42 lakh to ₹55 lakh in one year by setting up monthly stock reviews.

Example 2: fresher, college project

• Before: Did a project on attendance system.

• After: Built a face-recognition attendance app (Python, OpenCV) with a team of 3; tested it on a class of 60 students over 2 weeks.

The numbers in these examples are only to show the method. Use your own real figures, and only claim what you can explain in an interview, because interviewers often pick a bullet and ask "how?". For stronger opening words, see our list of resume action verbs.

Also read: Volume of a Sphere: Formula, Derivation, Worked Examples and Common Mistakes

How long should a resume be?

• Freshers and up to about 3 years' experience: one page.

• Mid-level and senior: two pages is normal. Cut anything older than 10–15 years down to one line per job.

Common mistakes to avoid

• One resume for every job. Adjust the summary and skills for each application so they match the post.

• The "Declaration" line. "I hereby declare that the above information is true…" is a biodata habit. It isn't needed on a private-sector resume.

• Skill lists you can't back up. If you list ten programming languages, expect questions on all ten.

• Different details on different platforms. Make sure job titles and dates match across your resume, Naukri and LinkedIn.

• Typos and mixed formatting. Read it aloud once and check that dates follow one style ("Jun 2024" or "06/2024", not both).

• Saving as "resume.pdf". Name the file "Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf" so recruiters can find it again.

Frequently asked questions

Should I put a photo on my resume in India?

For most private-sector jobs, no. A photo isn't needed to judge your skills, and modern resume templates leave it out. Add one only if the employer or the application form asks for it.

Is a resume the same as a CV in India?

People in India often use the words interchangeably, and most private employers asking for a "CV" want a 1–2 page resume. A full CV, with research and publications, is mainly for academic and research jobs.

Should a fresher write a career objective?

A short, specific summary works better than a generic objective. Two lines naming your degree, your main skills and the role you want are enough.

Can I make a resume on my phone?

Yes. Google Docs and Microsoft Word both work on phones and can export a PDF. Keep the layout to one column and check the PDF on a computer screen before sending it, if you can.

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