Resume & Interviews Freshers

How to Write a Fresher Resume That Gets Shortlisted

What to include on your first resume, how to order it, how to describe projects and internships, and the mistakes that get fresher resumes rejected.

A notebook and pen on a desk
Photo: Shixart1985 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

As a fresher, you will not have years of experience to list — and recruiters know that. What they look for is evidence that you can learn, finish things and communicate clearly. A clean, one-page resume that shows this is enough.

  1. Name and contact details — phone, a professional email address, city and LinkedIn URL. No photo, date of birth or marital status unless the employer asks.
  2. A two-line summary — who you are and the role you want: “B.Com graduate with strong Excel skills, seeking an accounts assistant role.”
  3. Education — degree, college, year and marks (as per the employer’s format, if specified).
  4. Projects and internships — your most important section as a fresher.
  5. Skills — tools and skills you can actually demonstrate.
  6. Certifications and activities — only if relevant.

How to describe a project

Use one or two lines per point, starting with an action verb and ending with a result: “Built a sales dashboard in Excel from 6 months of shop data, which the owner now uses for weekly ordering.” Mention the tools you used.

Common mistakes

  • Two or more pages with little content.
  • Listing skills you cannot talk about in an interview.
  • Generic objectives such as “to work in a reputed organisation”.
  • Spelling mistakes and inconsistent formatting.
  • Fancy templates with tables and graphics that applicant tracking systems cannot read — see our ATS-friendly resume guide.

Before you send it

  • Save as PDF with a clear file name, e.g. Priya-Sharma-Resume.pdf.
  • Tailor the summary and skills to each job description.
  • Ask someone to proofread it.

JobzGap Editorial

The JobzGap editorial team writes practical career guides for Indian freshers and professionals returning after a break, checking hiring facts against official sources.

Spotted an error or outdated information? Tell us — see our editorial & corrections policy.

Join the discussion

Your email won’t be published. Comments are moderated.