Before You Start
Writing a resume is not a one-time task. You should have a master resume (everything you have ever done) and then create tailored versions for each application or role category.
This guide walks you through building your master resume first.
Step 1 — Choose the Right File Format
Save your resume as a .docx or text-based PDF.
- DOCX: Best compatibility with all ATS systems
- Text-based PDF: Professional look, good ATS compatibility
- Never use: Canva exports, image PDFs, PNG, JPG
Step 2 — Set Up the Document
Open Microsoft Word or Google Docs:
- Margins: 0.75 inches on all sides
- Font: Arial or Calibri, 11pt
- Line spacing: 1.15
- Single column — no tables, no text boxes
- Page count: 1 page (freshers), 1–2 pages (5+ years experience)
Step 3 — Write Your Contact Information
Top of the page, centre-aligned or left-aligned:
`
Full Name (16pt, bold)
your.email@gmail.com | +91 99999 99999 | City, State
linkedin.com/in/yourprofile | github.com/yourprofile (if applicable)
`
Do not include: Photo, date of birth, gender, marital status, religion, caste, Aadhaar number, full home address.
These add no value to your application and waste space. In India, many job seekers include personal details out of habit — remove them from your resume.
Step 4 — Write Your Professional Summary
3 sentences. Not an objective statement (what you want) but a summary (what you offer).
Formula:Sentence 1: Your role, experience level, and domain.
Sentence 2: Your top 2–3 skills and a key achievement.
Sentence 3: What you are seeking (one line).
Example (experienced): "Digital marketing professional with 6 years of experience in performance marketing and brand strategy for D2C and e-commerce brands. Managed ₹3Cr+ annual media budgets across Google and Meta, achieving consistent 3.2x ROAS and reducing CPA by 28% YoY. Seeking a senior marketing role at a growth-stage consumer tech company."Step 5 — Build Your Work Experience
For each role:
- Job title (bold) | Company name | Month Year – Month Year or Present
- 3–5 bullet points per role
- Each bullet: action verb + what you did + metric/outcome
Leadership: Led, Managed, Directed, Spearheaded, Oversaw
Building: Built, Developed, Designed, Architected, Created
Growth: Grew, Scaled, Increased, Expanded, Doubled
Saving: Reduced, Cut, Optimised, Streamlined, Eliminated
Delivering: Launched, Shipped, Deployed, Executed, Delivered
Analysis: Analysed, Evaluated, Researched, Modelled, Forecasted
Adding metrics:- Revenue: ₹50L, ₹2Cr, $1M
- Percentage: 35% improvement, 2x growth, 60% reduction
- Volume: 10K users, 500K transactions, 1M impressions
- Time: reduced from 14 days to 3 days, shipped in 6 weeks
- Team: managed a team of 8, collaborated with 3 cross-functional teams
Step 6 — Education Section
`
Degree | College Name | Graduation Year | CGPA or Percentage
`
Include: relevant coursework (if fresher), academic honours, merit scholarships.
Do not include: school/12th details if you have a degree (for experienced professionals).
Step 7 — Skills Section
Two formats work:
Categorised (preferred for technical roles):`
Programming: Python, Java, JavaScript
Frameworks: React.js, Node.js, Django
Tools: Git, Docker, Jira, Figma
`
Flat list (works for all roles):
`
Python · SQL · Power BI · Stakeholder Management · Agile · Excel · Tableau
`
Include every skill you can honestly claim. If you used it once, include it. ATS systems match on presence, not proficiency level.
Step 8 — Certifications
List relevant certifications with issuing body and year:
`
AWS Cloud Practitioner | Amazon Web Services | 2024
Google Data Analytics | Coursera | 2023
`
Step 9 — Tailor for Each Application
Before submitting anywhere:
1. Copy the job description
2. Highlight every skill, tool, and qualification mentioned
3. Check which highlighted terms are missing from your resume
4. Add the missing terms naturally into your existing content
5. Run through ATSPass to verify your score
Tailoring takes about 15 minutes per application and consistently closes the biggest keyword gaps between your resume and the JD.