A resume for jobs in India should be one or two pages, lead with the role you want, and prove each claim with a result. Put contact details, a short profile, skills, experience and education in that order. Leave photographs, marital status and your full address off the page.
What belongs on the page
Recruiters skim the top half first. The profile is two lines on the role and the skills you want to be hired for. The skills list is the tools and methods you can use this month, not every course you have finished.
- Name, phone, email and city are enough in the header.
- List experience with the newest role first, with month and year for each job.
- Add education, then certifications that the posting asks for.
Write achievements, not duties
A duty describes the seat. An achievement shows what changed because you were in it. Use a number when you have one: revenue, time saved, tickets closed, people supported or a score that improved.
- Start each bullet with a verb: built, reduced, led, reconciled, launched.
- Keep each bullet to one line on a normal page.
- Drop bullets you cannot explain in an interview.
Keep the file easy to read
Use a single column, a common font and clear headings. Save the file as a PDF named with your name and the role. Send a DOCX only when the application form asks for it.
- Avoid tables, text boxes and icons. They break when a system extracts the text.
- Use the same job title the employer used, when it truthfully describes your work.
- Proofread the phone number and email. A single wrong digit ends the process.
If a recruiter can see your target role, your skills and one proof point without scrolling, the resume is doing its job.
Questions people ask
Is a CV different from a resume in India?
- Employers use both words for the same document. Send a one- or two-page resume unless a role, such as academic hiring, asks for a long CV.
Should I include a photograph?
- Leave the photograph off unless the employer explicitly asks for one. Skills and results are what the shortlist is built on.
How far back should work history go?
- Cover the last ten to twelve years in detail. Earlier roles can be a single line, or left off when they are unrelated.
Related reading
Meera Iyer
Meera edits WePlacement career guides for people searching, interviewing and negotiating offers in India. She writes from questions recruiters and candidates ask every week.
