TL;DR: Pick a clean, ATS-friendly format. Lead with a 3-line summary aimed at the job you want. Write every experience bullet as action + what you did + result (with a number). Keep it to 1 page if you have under 5 years of experience. Tailor it to each job description before you apply.
You have probably applied to 50 jobs on Naukri, LinkedIn and company portals and heard back from three. It’s tempting to blame the market. But very often the problem is the one document every recruiter sees first: your resume.
Recruiters move fast. A widely cited 2018 eye-tracking study by Ladders found they spend about 7 seconds on an initial scan of a resume. In those seconds they look for your current title, your most recent company, your key skills and some proof that you’re good at what you do. If that information is hard to find, the next resume in the pile wins.
This guide walks you through writing a resume from scratch, step by step, the way recruiters in India actually read it in 2026.
Step 1: Choose the right resume format
There are three common formats:
- Reverse-chronological (most recent job first). This is what most Indian recruiters expect, and what applicant tracking systems (ATS) read best. Use it unless you have a very good reason not to.
- Functional (skills first, jobs later). It’s often used to hide gaps, and recruiters know it. Avoid it.
- Hybrid (a strong skills section, then reverse-chronological experience). Good for career switchers and freshers with strong projects.
Whatever you choose, keep the layout simple: one or two columns, standard section headings, no tables for important content, no text inside images. We cover why in our guide to ATS-friendly resumes.
Step 2: Put your contact details at the top (and only the useful ones)
Include:
- Full name (large, at the top)
- Phone number with country code: +91 98XXXXXXXX
- A professional email (firstname.lastname@…, not cooldude94@…)
- City and state (Pune, Maharashtra is enough; no full address)
- LinkedIn URL, and a portfolio or GitHub link if it’s relevant to the role
Leave out: date of birth, marital status, father’s name, religion, a photo (unless the job or the country expects one) and your full postal address. These belong in a biodata, not a modern resume.
Step 3: Write a 3-line professional summary
The summary is the first thing a recruiter reads, so make it about the job you want, not about you in general. A simple formula:
[Title] with [X years] of experience in [2–3 core skills], who has [one proof point with a number]. Looking to [the role you’re applying for].
Weak: “Hardworking and dedicated professional seeking a challenging role in a reputed organisation.”
Strong: “Data analyst with 3 years of experience in SQL, Power BI and Python, who automated a weekly sales report and saved the team about 6 hours a week. Looking for a senior analyst role in a product company.”
The weak version could describe anyone. The strong one tells the recruiter exactly who you are in two sentences. For more examples, see our resume summary examples.
Step 4: Write experience bullets that show results
This is where most resumes lose the recruiter. They list duties (“Responsible for handling client queries”) instead of achievements. Use this formula for every bullet:
Action verb + what you did + the result, ideally with a number.
| Duty (weak) | Achievement (strong) |
|---|---|
| Responsible for sales in the North region | Grew North-region sales 18% in FY24 by adding 40 new dealer accounts |
| Handled customer complaints | Resolved 60+ customer tickets a day with a 4.7/5 satisfaction score |
| Worked on the company website | Rebuilt the checkout page in React, cutting load time from 4s to 1.5s |
Three to five bullets per job is enough. Put your most impressive result first. If you don’t have exact numbers, use honest estimates (“about 30%”, “roughly 200 users”), but never invent them. Interviewers will ask.
Step 5: Add skills that match the job
Split skills into two short groups:
- Hard skills: tools and methods (SQL, Tally, AutoCAD, Google Ads, Python, Excel pivot tables).
- Soft skills: only the few that you can back up elsewhere on the resume (stakeholder management, team leadership).
Mirror the words used in the job description. If the posting says “Power BI” and you wrote “Microsoft BI tools”, an ATS keyword search may miss you. Our list of 150+ resume skills for 2026 is a good place to start.
Step 6: Education, certifications and projects
- Education: degree, college, year. Add your CGPA or percentage only if it’s strong (above roughly 7.5/10 or 75%) or the employer asks for it.
- Certifications: relevant ones only (Google Data Analytics, AWS, NISM, CFA Level 1, etc.).
- Projects: essential for freshers and career switchers. Write them like experience: what you built, the tools, the result.
Step 7: Keep it to the right length
- 0–5 years of experience: one page.
- 5–15 years: up to two pages.
- Senior leaders: two pages, focused on the last 10 years.
Cut anything that doesn’t help you get this job: school marks after graduation, hobbies that say nothing about you, and every job from more than 15 years ago described in detail.
Step 8: Tailor it for every application
The single biggest improvement most people can make is to stop sending one resume to every job. Read the job description, note the 6–10 skills and phrases it repeats, and make sure the true ones appear in your summary, bullets and skills.
On GoResume you can paste the job description and get a match score, the keywords you already cover, the ones you’re missing, and a tailored copy of your resume, without touching your original. Only keep the keywords that are genuinely true for you. Our guide on tailoring your resume to a job description walks through it step by step.
Step 9: Proofread, then export as PDF
- Read it out loud once. You’ll catch half the mistakes.
- Check dates, company names and your phone number twice.
- Save as PDF (unless the portal asks for Word), named like
Priya-Sharma-Data-Analyst-Resume.pdf.
Write your resume faster with AI (without sounding like AI)
If you’re starting from nothing, the blank page is the hardest part. On GoResume you can:
- Talk or type about your experience, and AI turns it into a structured resume.
- Upload your old resume, and get it rebuilt in a clean, ATS-friendly template.
- Paste a job description to tailor it in a few minutes.
Then edit it like a human: add your real numbers, cut the generic phrases, and make sure every line is true. Building and editing is free; you only pay if you want to download the PDF.
Build your resume free on GoResume →
And if you’d rather have an expert do it with you, our resume writing service includes a 1:1 session with a recruiter or resume expert, and delivers your rewritten resume within 24 hours.
Resume examples by job title
Starting from an example for your role is faster than starting from a blank page:
- Data analyst resume
- Software engineer resume
- Business analyst resume
- Sales manager resume
- Browse all 350+ resume examples
FAQ
How long should a resume be in India?
One page if you have under 5 years of experience, up to two pages if you have more. Recruiters rarely read beyond page two.
Should I put my photo on my resume?
Usually not for Indian corporate roles. It can help for jobs in the Gulf, hospitality, aviation and some client-facing roles.
Should I mention my current CTC on my resume?
No. Share CTC and notice period in the application form or when the recruiter asks.
What is the best resume format for freshers?
A one-page reverse-chronological or hybrid format with education, projects, internships and skills at the top. See our fresher resume format guide.
Can I write a resume with AI?
Yes, AI is great for the first draft and for tailoring. Always edit the result so it sounds like you and contains only true claims.
