The structure that works
- Header — name, phone, professional email, city, LinkedIn + GitHub (for tech).
- Summary or objective — optional, one to three lines, tailored. (which to use.)
- Experience — for experienced candidates; or Projects first for freshers.
- Skills — focused and relevant, grouped.
- Education — degree, institution, year, CGPA if strong.
- Certifications / achievements — if relevant.
What to leave OUT (the biodata holdovers)
- Date of birth, marital status, father's name — outdated and irrelevant to hiring.
- Full residential address — your city is enough.
- Religion, nationality, languages-known-at-mother-tongue-level — skip unless genuinely relevant to the role.
- "Declaration" and signature block — a relic; recruiters don't need it.
- Photo — skip for ATS-screened corporate/tech roles (see FAQ).
Every line that isn't helping you get the interview is taking space from something that could.
Length and layout
One page for freshers and up to ~5 years of experience; two pages are fine beyond that. (full guidance on length.) Single column, standard headings, real selectable text, consistent dates, a standard font — the same rules that keep any resume ATS-friendly apply here.
Resume vs biodata vs CV
- Resume — one to two pages, skills and achievements, tailored to a job. Use this for corporate, tech, and most professional roles.
- Biodata — older, personal-detail-heavy format. Largely outdated for professional hiring.
- CV — long, comprehensive, used in academia and research. Different document, different purpose.
Tailor it, then ship it
A clean Indian-market resume still has to match each job's keywords to rank well. my-resume handles the format and tailors to any JD — built for Indian job seekers, free.
FAQ
Should an Indian resume include a photo?
Skip it for most ATS-screened corporate/tech roles. Follow your field's norm, but never put critical text in the image.
What personal details to include?
Name, phone, email, city, LinkedIn/GitHub. Drop DOB, marital status, father's name, and full address.
Is biodata the same as a resume?
No — biodata is an older personal-detail format. Use a modern resume for professional roles.
Related guides
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