Resume format for freshers (2026)

A fresher resume is judged on a different basis from an experienced one. Nobody expects years of jobs; recruiters look for your degree, what you’ve built and whether your skills match the role. The right format puts those things where a recruiter looks first, on one page, in a layout an ATS can read.

The section order that works

Until you have a full-time job, your education and projects are your strongest evidence, so they go near the top. Use this order and drop any section you have nothing real for:

Name and contact details: phone, professional email, city, LinkedIn, GitHub or portfolio
Summary: two lines on your degree, strongest skills and one result
Education: degree, college, years, CGPA
Skills: tools and technologies you’ve actually used
Projects: two or three, described like work
Internships: company, role, dates and what you delivered
Certifications, achievements and positions of responsibility

One page, one column

Freshers should fit everything on one A4 page. If you’re over, cut weak projects and old school activities before you shrink the font: 10–11 pt body text and normal margins keep it readable.

A single reading column is the safest layout for campus portals and job sites, which run your resume through a parser. Our ATS-friendly resume format guide covers fonts, headings and dates in detail.

What to include in each section

CGPA or percentage: include it if it’s 7.0/10 (or 70%) and above, or if the employer asks. Many campus drives have a cut-off, so leaving it out can look like you’re hiding it
10th and 12th marks: only if the company or placement cell asks for them
Projects: name, tech stack, link, and two bullets with a result such as users, speed or accuracy
Internships: even a four-week or unpaid one counts; write bullets about what you delivered, not what you attended
Certifications: ones related to the role (for example AWS Cloud Practitioner, Google Analytics, NPTEL courses); skip participation certificates
Achievements: hackathon ranks, coding contest ratings, scholarships, published papers

Sample fresher resume skeleton

PRIYA SHARMA
Pune, Maharashtra | +91 98XXX XXXXX | priya.sharma@email.com | linkedin.com/in/priyasharma | github.com/priyasharma

SUMMARY
Final-year B.Tech (Computer Science) student with internship experience in Python and SQL. Built a placement-analytics dashboard used by 300+ students. Looking for an entry-level data analyst role.

EDUCATION
B.Tech, Computer Science | XYZ Institute of Technology, Pune | 2022 – 2026 | CGPA 8.4/10

SKILLS
Languages: Python, SQL | Tools: Excel, Power BI, Git | Libraries: Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib

PROJECTS
Placement Insights Dashboard | Python, Power BI | github.com/priyasharma/placement-insights
• Cleaned five years of placement data (4,000+ rows) and built a dashboard used by 300+ students

INTERNSHIP
Data Analyst Intern | ABC Retail Pvt Ltd | May 2025 – Jul 2025
• Automated a weekly sales report in Python, saving the team about 4 hours a week

CERTIFICATIONS
Google Data Analytics Certificate (2025)

PDF or DOCX?

Send a text-based PDF unless the job post or placement cell asks for Word. A PDF looks the same on every device, and modern ATS read it without trouble. Check yours by selecting and copying the text: if you can, a parser can too.

Name the file clearly, such as Priya_Sharma_Resume.pdf, not resume_final_v3.pdf.

Naukri and campus placement tips

On Naukri, fill in the profile fields (resume headline, key skills, education) as well as uploading the PDF; recruiters search those fields
Use the same skill names the job post uses: “React.js” vs “React” and “MS Excel” vs “Excel” are matched as written by some search tools
Keep one master resume and tailor the summary and skills for each role or company in the placement drive
If your placement cell gives a fixed template, follow it exactly and put your effort into the bullet points
Update your Naukri profile when you finish a new project or certification; a recently updated profile also shows recruiters you are actively looking

Frequently asked questions

What is the best resume format for freshers?

A one-page, single-column resume in this order: contact details, summary, education, skills, projects, internships, then certifications and achievements. Move Experience above Education once you have a full-time job.

Should a fresher resume be one page?

Yes. Recruiters expect one page from students and new graduates. If yours spills over, cut the weakest projects and activities rather than shrinking the text.

Should I mention CGPA on my resume?

Include it if it's 7.0/10 or above, or if the employer has a cut-off or asks for it. For a lower CGPA, you can leave it off and let projects and skills carry the resume, but be ready to share it if asked.

Is a photo required on a fresher resume in India?

No. It's common and acceptable in India, but not required, and most recruiters don't expect one. Leave it off when applying to companies in the US, UK or Canada.

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