Master the art of creating a resume that gets you noticed by recruiters and lands interviews. Updated with the latest ATS requirements and industry trends.
Let me tell you about a mistake that cost me three internship opportunities. In my third year, I had a resume that I thought was perfect — it listed every skill I knew, mentioned my CGPA, and included a photo (because that's what I saw in templates online). I applied to over fifty positions. Response rate? Zero.
It wasn't until a senior from my college, who was working at TCS, reviewed my resume that I understood the problem. "Your resume looks like everyone else's," she said. "There's nothing here that tells me what you actually accomplished, or why I should pick you over the 200 other applicants with the same CGPA and the same list of skills."
That feedback was a turning point. I spent the next two weeks completely rebuilding my resume using the principles you'll find in this guide. Instead of listing "Python" as a skill, I wrote about the automation script I built that reduced data processing time by 70%. Instead of "good communication skills," I mentioned the workshop I organized for 50+ students. The difference was night and day — I started getting callbacks within the first week.
This guide compiles everything I learned from that experience, plus insights from reviewing hundreds of student resumes through Sproutern. Every tip here has been tested by real students who went from getting rejected to landing interviews at companies like Infosys, Wipro, TCS, Amazon, and countless startups. If your resume isn't getting responses, chances are you're making one of the mistakes we cover below.
Remember: Your resume isn't a list of what you did — it's a marketing document that sells your potential value to an employer. Every word should earn its place.
A well-structured resume makes it easy for recruiters to find relevant information quickly. For students and freshers, keep your resume to 1 page. Experienced professionals can extend to 2 pages.
Full name (bold, larger font), phone number, professional email, LinkedIn URL, portfolio/GitHub (if relevant)
Pro Tip: Use professional email like [email protected], never [email protected]
2-3 lines highlighting your key strengths, experience level, and career goals. Tailored for each job.
Pro Tip: Freshers: Focus on skills and what you bring. Experienced: Quantify achievements.
Degree name, institution, graduation year, CGPA (if above 7.5/10 or 3.0/4.0). Include honors, relevant coursework.
Pro Tip: Place this section first if you're a fresher, after experience if you have 2+ years work history.
Technical skills, programming languages, tools, frameworks, soft skills. Group by category for readability.
Pro Tip: Match skills to job description keywords. List proficiency levels if honest (Expert/Proficient/Familiar).
Internships, jobs, academic projects, hackathons. Use bullet points with measurable achievements.
Pro Tip: Use STAR format: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Quantify wherever possible.
Online courses (Coursera, Udemy), competitions, scholarships, publications, patents.
Pro Tip: Include only relevant and recent certifications. Add issue date and credential ID.
Leadership roles, clubs, volunteer work, sports. Shows personality and soft skills.
Pro Tip: Include only if relevant or impressive. Quality over quantity.
Transform vague statements into powerful achievements using this formula:
Formula: Action Verb + Task + Quantified Result + Timeframe (optional)
Developed, Engineered, Programmed, Designed, Implemented, Optimized, Automated, Debugged, Deployed, Integrated, Built, Architected, Configured, Maintained, Tested
Led, Managed, Supervised, Coordinated, Directed, Mentored, Trained, Delegated, Motivated, Facilitated, Chaired, Guided, Spearheaded, Pioneered, Orchestrated
Analyzed, Researched, Evaluated, Assessed, Identified, Investigated, Examined, Diagnosed, Interpreted, Calculated, Surveyed, Measured, Forecasted, Discovered
Presented, Negotiated, Persuaded, Collaborated, Communicated, Authored, Drafted, Edited, Published, Translated, Advocated, Mediated, Publicized, Promoted
Achieved, Exceeded, Improved, Increased, Reduced, Saved, Generated, Maximized, Delivered, Completed, Accelerated, Transformed, Revamped, Streamlined, Enhanced
Resolved, Solved, Troubleshot, Diagnosed, Fixed, Addressed, Corrected, Rectified, Remedied, Overhauled, Restructured, Redesigned, Revitalized, Renovated
Over 90% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS to filter resumes before human review. If your resume isn't ATS-friendly, it may never reach a recruiter. Up to 75% of resumes are rejected by ATS before being seen by a human.
[email protected] or [email protected]
✅ Use [email protected] or similar professional format
Adding passport photo in corner of resume
✅ Remove photo entirely. Save space for content that matters.
Responsible for managing social media accounts
✅ Managed social media accounts, growing followers by 150% in 6 months
Seeking a challenging position to utilize my skills
✅ Aspiring data scientist with expertise in ML, seeking to apply NLP skills at [Company Name]
Father's name, date of birth, marital status, religion
✅ Remove all personal details except contact info. They're not relevant and can lead to bias.
Mixed fonts, random bold text, varying bullet styles
✅ Use one font family, consistent heading sizes, and uniform bullet points throughout
3-4 page resume for a fresher or entry-level position
✅ Freshers: 1 page strictly. Experienced (5+ years): 2 pages maximum.
Typos like 'pyhton', 'experiance', 'responsiblities'
✅ Proofread multiple times. Use Grammarly. Have a friend review.
Experience
Intern at ABC Company
Software Development Intern | ABC Company
June 2024 - August 2024 | Mumbai, India
"I am a hard-working and dedicated student looking for a challenging opportunity where I can utilize my skills and grow professionally."
"Computer Science graduate from IIT Bombay with expertise in full-stack development (React, Node.js, MongoDB). Built 5 production-ready applications with 10,000+ combined users. Seeking a Software Engineer role to contribute to scalable web applications at innovative startups."
For freshers and students with less than 2 years experience: strictly 1 page. For professionals with 2-10 years: 1-2 pages. Senior professionals with 10+ years: 2 pages maximum. Quality over quantity always.
Include CGPA only if it's above 7.5/10 (or 3.0/4.0). If your CGPA is lower, focus on projects, skills, and achievements instead. Some companies have CGPA cutoffs, so check requirements.
Yes! Tailor your resume for each application by adjusting the summary, highlighting relevant skills, and using keywords from the job description. The core content can remain similar.
No, don't include a photo for jobs in India, US, UK, and most countries. Photos can lead to unconscious bias. Some European countries (Germany, France) may expect photos, so research local norms.
PDF is generally best as it preserves formatting across devices. Some ATS systems require .docx, so check the job posting. Never send .pages, .odt, or image files.
For freshers: include all relevant experience. For experienced professionals: focus on the last 10-15 years. Older experience can be summarized or omitted if not directly relevant.
Only if they're relevant to the job, demonstrate leadership, or add unique value. 'Reading and watching movies' adds nothing. 'Captain of college cricket team' or 'Published author' can help.
Be honest but strategic. Highlight any productive activities during gaps (freelancing, courses, volunteering). Address gaps briefly in cover letter if significant. Focus on what you learned.
Use our free tools and resources to build a resume that gets you noticed:
