A resume isn\'t a CV from Europass and isn\'t "telling about yourself". It\'s a 1-2 page document that has 6 seconds to convince HR you\'re worth interviewing. Here\'s a 9-step system to write a resume from scratch in 1 hour — including examples for fresher, mid-level, and senior in Indian context.
Step 1 — Header: contacts + target position
First line — full name in capitals. Next — your target position, not current real one. Then — contacts: phone, email (name format), LinkedIn, city.
Example: Aarav Sharma | Senior Python Developer | +91 98XXX XX XXX | a.sharma@gmail.com | linkedin.com/in/asharma | Bengaluru
Step 2 — Summary (40-60 words)
One paragraph-business-card: who you are + main achievement + goal. Written AFTER detailing experience — based on it.
"Python developer with 5 years in FinTech. Optimized API latency from 450ms to 120ms for service with 2M users. Looking for Senior role focused on high-load systems."
Step 3 — Experience: DAR formula
For each position: company, role, period, 3-5 bullet points. Bullet formula: DAR = Action verb + Result (metric).
- Bad: "responsible for processes in department"
- Good: "Optimized onboarding process — new manager adaptation time reduced from 3 weeks to 1.5"
Step 4 — Education
For freshers — first, for senior — last. Format: "[University, degree] | [years]". Add CGPA if 8.0+. For graduates of IIT/NIT/BITS — mention rank in JEE if top 1000.
Step 5 — Skills
Separate block of 8-15 skills. 60% hard, 40% soft. Group by types. Details in 50+ resume skills article.
Step 6 — Optional sections
- Certifications — if relevant (CA, AWS, Google Ads)
- Languages — with CEFR level (English B2/IELTS 7.0)
- Hobbies — only if they highlight soft skills. See Hobbies in resume.
- Volunteering — separate section (strong signal in India)
Step 7 — Formatting
- 1 page for fresher/up to 3 years experience, 2 — for up to 10 years, 2-3 — senior
- Font: Calibri / Arial / Helvetica, 11pt for body, 13pt for headings
- Margins: 1.5-2 cm on all sides
- Single-column layout (for ATS)
- Minimum 1 accent color (max 2)
Step 8 — ATS optimization
Include 7-12 keywords from job description. Details — ATS resume India. Avoid tables, graphics, non-standard fonts. See ATS resume.
Step 9 — Verification
- Grammar (Grammarly, LanguageTool)
- Dates — no gaps, no overlaps
- Contacts — clickable, current
- PDF preserves formatting
- File name: Surname_Name_Position.pdf in Latin alphabet
Examples for fresher, mid, senior
Fresher (0-2 years experience)
Focus: education, internships, pet-projects. 1 page. Summary — "studying" + "looking for". Experience — 2-3 positions (internships, volunteering).
Mid-level (3-5 years)
Focus: achievements of last 2 jobs. 1-2 pages. Summary — concrete results. Experience — 3-4 positions with metrics.
Senior (6+ years)
Focus: leadership + architectural decisions + impact. 2 pages. Summary — scale (revenue, headcount). Experience — 4-5 positions, oldest brief.
Ready examples by profession: teacher.
Key takeaways
- 9 steps in 1 hour — realistic if you have draft
- DAR formula for experience: Action verb + Result with metric
- One page for fresher, two for senior. Three nobody needs.
- ATS-optimization = 3x more chances
- Pre-send check = 15 minutes saving months of search