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Mar 19, 2024

How to Make a Fresher Resume in India With No Experience (2025 Guide)

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Creating a resume as a fresher in India can feel challenging. Whether you're a B.Tech, B.E., MBA, B.Com, or any graduate, most job listings seem to require previous work experience. But here's the good news: Indian IT companies like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and Cognizant, along with startups and MNCs, actively hire freshers through campus placements and off-campus drives. This guide will help you create an impressive resume that showcases your potential.

Structure and Format for a Fresher Resume in India

The right structure and format can make your fresher resume stand out. Indian recruiters typically spend less than 30 seconds on each resume, so clarity is crucial.

Choose the Right Structure for Indian Freshers

Selecting the best resume format is crucial when you don't have work experience. Here's what works for Indian freshers:

  • Functional Resume: Best for freshers with no internships. Highlights skills, projects, and education over job history. Ideal for B.Com, BA, BSc graduates.
  • Combination Resume: Perfect for B.Tech/B.E. students with internships, hackathon participation, or significant projects. Shows both skills and hands-on experience.
  • Chronological Resume: Works if you have multiple internships listed from most recent to oldest.

For most Indian freshers applying to IT companies (TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant), the combination format works best as it showcases both technical skills and project experience.

Use a simple and easy-to-read format

When creating a resume with no experience, choose a basic and clear format. Utilize standard fonts such as Arial or Calibri in 10-12 point size for easy readability. Ensure consistent formatting throughout the document to maintain a clean and professional appearance.

Avoid using excessive bolding, italicizing, or underlining to keep the layout simple and straightforward.

To ensure your resume is visually appealing and easy to follow, use bullet points to list information rather than lengthy paragraphs. This will help the reader quickly identify key details about your education, skills, and extracurricular activities without feeling overwhelmed by dense blocks of text.

Essential Sections for an Indian Fresher Resume

When creating a resume with no experience, include these sections in order:

  1. Contact Information: Full name, phone number (+91), professional email (avoid nicknames), LinkedIn profile, GitHub/portfolio (for tech roles), city (full address not needed).
  2. Career Objective: 2-3 lines stating your career goals, key skills, and what you bring to the role. Example: "B.Tech Computer Science graduate from VIT with strong foundation in Java, Python, and Data Structures. Seeking Software Developer role to apply programming skills and contribute to innovative projects."
  3. Education: Degree, university/college, graduation year, CGPA/percentage (if above 7.0/70%). Include 10th and 12th marks if impressive (above 85%).
  4. Technical Skills: Programming languages, frameworks, tools, databases. For non-tech roles: Excel, Tally, SAP, communication tools.
  5. Projects: 2-3 academic or personal projects with descriptions, technologies used, and outcomes. This is CRITICAL for freshers.
  6. Internships: If any, even short-term or virtual internships count.
  7. Certifications: NPTEL, Coursera, Udemy, AWS, Google certifications. Highly valued by Indian recruiters.
  8. Extracurricular Activities: College clubs, sports, cultural activities, hackathons, coding competitions (like CodeChef, HackerRank).
  9. Achievements: University rank, scholarships, competition wins, paper publications.

Note: References are rarely needed for entry-level resumes in India. Save that space for more relevant content.

Highlight Your Education (Critical for Indian Freshers)

In India, education carries significant weight, especially for freshers. Your academic credentials can make or break your resume when you lack work experience.

How to Present Your Education

Format your education section professionally:

Example for B.Tech Graduate:

B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering
Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore | 2024 | CGPA: 8.2/10

Class 12 (CBSE) | Delhi Public School, Bangalore | 2020 | 92%

Class 10 (CBSE) | Delhi Public School, Bangalore | 2018 | 95%

What to Include in Your Education Section

  • Include CGPA/percentage only if above 7.0 CGPA or 70% (many Indian companies have cutoffs)
  • Mention relevant coursework: Data Structures, DBMS, Machine Learning, Financial Accounting, etc.
  • Highlight academic projects or research work (final year projects are highly valued)
  • List awards and honors: University rank, scholarships, gold medals, Dean's list
  • Include paper publications if any (valuable for tech and research roles)
  • Mention GATE/CAT/CET scores if impressive
  • Highlight coding competition rankings: CodeChef, HackerRank, Codeforces ratings

Pro Tip: If your college is well-known (IIT, NIT, BITS, VIT, SRM, Manipal), it adds credibility. But even if it's not, strong projects and skills matter more to recruiters.

Certifications That Boost Your Fresher Resume in India

Certifications show initiative and practical knowledge. Here are the most valued certifications for Indian freshers:

For IT/Software Roles:

  • AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner / Solutions Architect
  • Google Cloud Certification
  • Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
  • NPTEL courses (IIT/IISc certified)
  • Coursera/Udemy courses in Python, Java, Machine Learning
  • HackerRank/CodeChef certifications

For Data Science Roles:

  • Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
  • IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
  • Tableau Desktop Certification

For Digital Marketing Roles:

  • Google Digital Marketing Certification
  • Google Ads Certification
  • HubSpot Content Marketing Certification
  • Meta Blueprint Certification

For Finance/Accounting Roles:

  • Tally ERP 9 Certification
  • NSE's NCFM Certifications
  • Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC)

Pro Tip: Free certifications from Google, Coursera (with financial aid), and NPTEL are highly valued by Indian recruiters and show self-learning ability.

Emphasize Your Skills (Technical + Soft Skills)

Skills are the most important section for Indian freshers. They tell recruiters what you can do, even without work experience.

In-Demand Technical Skills for Indian Freshers (2025)

For IT/Software Roles:

  • Programming: Java, Python, C++, JavaScript
  • Web Development: React, Angular, Node.js, HTML/CSS
  • Databases: MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL
  • Cloud: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud basics
  • Tools: Git, Docker, Jenkins, Jira
  • Data Structures and Algorithms (crucial for coding rounds)

For Non-IT Roles:

  • MS Office (Excel with VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables is highly valued)
  • Tally ERP 9 (for commerce graduates)
  • SAP basics
  • Data visualization (Tableau, Power BI)
  • Google Analytics

Transferable Soft Skills from College Activities

Your college experiences have given you valuable skills:

  1. Leadership: Student council, club president, event coordinator
  2. Teamwork: Group projects, sports teams, hackathon teams
  3. Communication: Presentations, debates, public speaking competitions
  4. Time Management: Balancing academics with extracurriculars
  5. Problem-Solving: Hackathons, coding competitions, case study competitions
  6. Adaptability: Internships, new college environment, online learning during COVID

Remember: Indian recruiters at TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and similar companies specifically test soft skills during interviews. Your resume should reflect these.

List any technical or computer skills

  1. Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
  2. Proficiency in using design software such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
  3. Basic knowledge of programming languages like HTML, CSS, or JavaScript
  4. Experience with data analysis tools such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets
  5. Comfortable working with customer relationship management (CRM) software
  6. Ability to navigate social media platforms for marketing and communication purposes
  7. Understanding of basic troubleshooting and technical problem - solving skills for computer hardware and software issues

Showcase any communication or organizational skills

  • Emphasize your ability to effectively communicate with others
  • Highlight any experience in public speaking or presentations
  • Include examples of teamwork or leadership roles that demonstrate strong organizational skills

Gain Experience through Projects and Extracurriculars

For freshers, projects and extracurricular activities ARE your experience. Indian recruiters understand this and evaluate you based on these.

Projects (The Most Critical Section for Freshers)

Projects demonstrate practical application of your knowledge. Here's how to present them:

Example Project Entry:

E-Commerce Website | React, Node.js, MongoDB | Jan-Apr 2024

  • Developed a full-stack e-commerce platform with user authentication, product catalog, and payment integration
  • Implemented responsive design serving 500+ test users with 99% uptime
  • Deployed on AWS EC2 with CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions
  • GitHub: github.com/yourname/project

Types of Projects That Impress:

  • Final year/capstone projects
  • Personal projects on GitHub
  • Hackathon projects (Smart India Hackathon, MLH, college hackathons)
  • Open-source contributions
  • Mini-projects from online courses

Volunteering and Community Work

Indian examples that showcase soft skills:

  • NSS Volunteer: Organized blood donation drives, health camps in rural areas
  • NGO Teaching: Taught underprivileged children through Teach for India or local NGOs
  • College Fest Organizer: Managed logistics for 5000+ attendees at annual cultural fest
  • Rotaract/Leo Club Member: Participated in community service projects
  • Environmental Initiatives: Swachh Bharat campaigns, tree plantation drives

Internships (Even Short-Term Ones Matter)

In India, internships carry significant weight for freshers. Here's how to present them:

Example Internship Entry:

Software Development Intern | Infosys Springboard | Remote | May-Jul 2024

  • Developed REST APIs using Java Spring Boot for customer management module
  • Collaborated with 5-member team using Agile methodology
  • Reduced API response time by 25% through query optimization

Types of Internships That Count:

  • Company internships (TCS, Infosys, Wipro summer internships)
  • Startup internships (valuable for diverse exposure)
  • Virtual internships (Forage, Internshala, AICTE virtual internships)
  • Research internships (IIT/IISc summer research programs)
  • Part-time internships during college

Pro Tip: Platforms like Internshala, LinkedIn, and AICTE portal offer numerous internship opportunities. Even 1-2 month internships add value to your fresher resume.

Include any relevant extracurricular activities

When it comes to gaining experience, part-time jobs and internships are crucial for a resume. After listing any internships or part-time jobs, enhance your resume by including relevant extracurricular activities such as:

  1. Volunteering for community events or organizations.
  2. Participating in clubs or associations related to your field of interest.
  3. Taking on leadership roles in school clubs or sports teams.
  4. Involvement in special projects or initiatives outside of academic requirements.
  5. Participation in relevant workshops, training programs, or seminars.

Fresher Resume Templates and Resources

Use the right tools to create a professional, ATS-friendly resume that gets you shortlisted.

Use a Fresher Resume Template

A fresher resume template provides a clear and structured format optimized for candidates without work experience. Key features to look for:

  • ATS-friendly format: No tables, graphics, or fancy fonts that confuse ATS systems
  • Prominent skills section: Technical skills visible at the top
  • Project-focused layout: Dedicated space for projects and internships
  • Education highlight: Education section positioned prominently
  • Single page: Fresher resumes should NEVER exceed one page

Use Our Free Resume Builder

Our resume builder offers templates specifically designed for Indian freshers, optimized for:

  • TCS, Infosys, Wipro campus placements
  • Off-campus drives on Naukri.com and LinkedIn
  • Startup applications
  • MNC applications (Amazon, Google, Microsoft)

Get Feedback Before Applying

Before sending out applications:

  • College Placement Cell: Get your resume reviewed by placement coordinators
  • Seniors: Ask seniors who've been placed for feedback
  • LinkedIn: Connect with professionals for resume reviews
  • ATS Check: Use free ATS checkers to ensure your resume passes automated screening

Fresher Resume Samples by Field

Explore resume samples tailored for Indian freshers:

Browse all fresher resume templates →

Conclusion

Crafting a fresher resume in India requires choosing the right structure, highlighting education and projects, showcasing technical and soft skills, and leveraging internships and extracurriculars.

Remember these key points for Indian job applications:

  • Keep it to one page - this is non-negotiable for freshers
  • Focus on projects and skills over work experience
  • Include CGPA only if above 7.0/70%
  • Get certifications to stand out (NPTEL, Coursera, AWS)
  • Optimize for ATS - use keywords from job descriptions
  • Tailor your resume for each application

Use our resume builder to create a professional fresher resume that gets you shortlisted for interviews at TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Amazon, Google, or any company you're targeting. With the right approach, you can create a strong entry-level resume that stands out to Indian recruiters.

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Author

Kshama Sharma - Resume, CV and Cover Letter Writing Expert

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