Getting your first job after college in India can feel intense. Thousands of students from the same batch apply for the same roles, and a recruiter often spends only a short time on each resume before deciding whether to read further.
Many freshers miss interview calls even though they could do the job. Their resume has small, fixable problems: an old template copied from a senior, details nobody asked for, or a layout that a job portal can't read properly.
If you have sent applications and heard little back, go through this list with your resume open. Each mistake comes with a direct fix.
Formatting and Layout
1. Choosing a flashy design
Colourful templates with sidebars, icons and skill bars may look good, but they often confuse Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and make the page harder to scan. Use a plain one-column layout with clear headings.
2. Using text that is too small
Squeezing everything into 8 pt font makes the page unreadable. Use a clean font such as Arial or Calibri at 10 to 12 pt, with headings slightly larger.
3. Mixing styles across sections
Dates and headings should follow one pattern. Don't switch between "Aug 2024 - Present" and "08/2023 to 05/2024". Pick one format and use it everywhere.
4. Writing a resume that is too long
As a fresher, one page is enough. If you are going onto a second page, you are probably including school-level details, repeated skills or a long list of hobbies.
5. Adding a photo
Unless the job post asks for one, leave it out. For most corporate roles in India, a photo takes space and can cause parsing problems in ATS software.
Content and Personal Details
6. Opening with a generic "Objective"
Lines like "To work in a challenging environment where I can utilise my skills for the growth of the organisation" appear on thousands of resumes and say nothing about you. Replace it with a two-line summary that names your degree, your main skills and the role you want.
Example: "Final-year B.Tech (IT) student with hands-on projects in Java, Spring Boot and MySQL. Looking for a backend developer or SDE-1 role."
7. Adding a "Declaration" section
"I hereby declare that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge" followed by Place, Date and Signature is a habit carried over from government forms and old biodata formats. Private-sector recruiters don't need it, and it wastes space. Remove it unless a specific employer (some government or PSU applications) asks for one.
8. Including irrelevant personal details
Father's name, mother's name, religion, caste, marital status, height, weight and full residential address do not belong on a corporate resume. They add no value and can invite bias. Keep only:
- Full name
- Phone number with +91
- Professional email
- City (for example, "Pune, Maharashtra")
- LinkedIn and GitHub/portfolio links
If a company needs date of birth or other details for onboarding, they will ask for them in a form.
9. Writing 10th and 12th marks in a confusing format
Recruiters in India often check academic scores because many companies have cutoffs. Make them easy to find in one consistent format, with the latest degree first:
B.E. Computer Engineering | ABC College, SPPU | 2022-2026 | CGPA: 8.1/10
12th (HSC) | Maharashtra State Board | 2022 | 78.4%
10th (SSC) | CBSE | 2020 | 89.2%
Write these as plain text lines rather than inside a table, so job portals read them correctly. Always mention the CGPA scale, and don't convert CGPA to percentage unless the employer asks (and then use your university's official formula).
10. Listing vague soft skills
"Hardworking, punctual, honest, team player, quick learner" appears on almost every fresher resume. Recruiters can't verify these words, so they skip them. Show soft skills through evidence instead: "Coordinated 15 volunteers for the department tech fest" demonstrates leadership far better than the word "leadership".
Not sure your resume passes the basics? Paste it, along with a job description, into JobYaar's free ATS Resume Checker. It flags missing keywords, unclear section headings and bullets without action verbs or results in a few seconds.
Experience and Project Issues
11. Skipping college work
No internship yet doesn't mean you have nothing to show. Treat college projects like real work. Mention the tech you used and what you personally did.
12. Writing tasks, not outcomes
Don't write: "Was responsible for managing the college fest website." Write instead: "Built the college fest website in React, handling 5,000+ registrations without downtime."
13. Claiming skills you can't explain
Listing "Machine Learning" after a two-hour video can fail badly in an interview. Only include skills you can discuss with examples.
14. Leaving out links
If you build things, add your GitHub link. If you design, add your Behance or portfolio link. Real proof beats a generic line.
15. Using passive sentences
Each bullet should begin with an action word: Developed, Managed, Created, Analysed. Don't start with "I did" or "Helped with".
Grammar and Basic Slip-ups
16. Typos and spelling mistakes
One wrong word can make the whole document look careless. Use a spell checker, then ask one more person to read it slowly. Watch for commonly misspelt tech names, such as "Javascript" vs "JavaScript" or "Mongo DB" vs "MongoDB".
17. Unprofessional email
An address like "coolboy.rahul99@gmail.com" creates a poor first impression. Create a simple one, such as "rahul.sharma@gmail.com" or "rahul.sharma2026@gmail.com".
18. Wrong file name
If 100 people upload "Resume.pdf", yours blends in and is hard to find later. Rename it to something clear, like Firstname_Lastname_Resume.pdf.
19. Sending the wrong file format
A resume saved as a phone photo, a scanned image, or a password-protected PDF often can't be read by portals or recruiters. Send a text-based PDF exported from Word or Google Docs, unless the portal specifically asks for .doc or .docx. Test it: if you can select and copy the text, it is readable.
Application-Stage Mistakes
20. Using one resume for every job
Sending the same resume to a data analyst role and a Java developer role means it fits neither well. Keep a master resume, then create a short tailored version for each type of role by reordering skills, choosing relevant projects and using the job description's wording where it honestly applies.
21. Hiding or not explaining gaps and backlogs
A gap year (for GATE/CAT/UPSC preparation, health reasons or family responsibilities) or a cleared backlog is common and is not automatically a problem. Trying to hide it is. Gaps show up when recruiters look at your dates, and backlogs show up on mark sheets during background verification.
- For a gap, add one honest line: "2024-25: Prepared for GATE; completed NPTEL course in Data Structures."
- For backlogs, answer screening questions truthfully. If all backlogs are cleared, you can say so: "All subjects cleared; no active backlogs."
22. Giving a wrong or unreachable phone number
It sounds obvious, but recruiters regularly reach numbers that are switched off, have a full voicemail, or belong to a parent who doesn't know about the application. Use your own number with +91, keep it active, and answer unknown calls politely during your job search. Many HR teams call first and email later.
23. Exaggerating or inventing details
Fake internships, inflated CGPA, or certificates you never completed can surface during background verification, sometimes after you have resigned from another offer. Many companies verify degrees, marks and previous employment through third-party agencies. A modest, true resume is safer than an impressive false one.
24. Copying a friend's or senior's resume
When ten students from the same college send resumes with the same layout, the same "Objective" line and the same three projects, recruiters notice. Using a template is fine; copying the content is not. Write your own bullets about what you did, even if the project was a group one.
25. Not keeping your resume updated
Many freshers still have "B.Tech (pursuing)" months after graduating, an old phone number, or a Naukri profile that doesn't match the resume they upload. Before every application round, check your graduation status, dates, contact details and links. Keep your job-portal profile, LinkedIn and resume consistent.
Quick Fix Checklist
Before you send your next application, confirm that:
- The resume is one page, one column, in a standard font.
- There is no Declaration, photo, father's name, religion or full address.
- Education is listed latest-first with board/university, year and score.
- Every project bullet starts with an action verb and shows what you did.
- The file is a text-based PDF named
Firstname_Lastname_Resume.pdf. - Your email and phone number are professional and working.
- Gaps and backlogs are handled honestly.
- The content is tailored to the type of role you are applying for.
Fixing even five or six of these mistakes can make your resume noticeably easier to read for both software and people.