Résumé mistakes · India
12 résumé mistakes Indian applicants make (and how to fix each)
Most rejected résumés aren't missing talent; they're hiding it. These are the mistakes we see again and again on Indian résumés, with what to do instead.
Updated · ResumeGyani editorial team · 9 min read
Quick answer
The most common résumé mistakes in India are a generic objective, too many personal details (father's name, religion, marital status, photo), tables and columns that break ATS parsing, freshers' CVs running to 2–3 pages, bullets that list duties instead of results, no numbers, unprofessional email IDs and file names, typos, and outdated lines like “References available on request” or a declaration.
- Replace the objective with a 2-line summary that names the job you want.
- Keep contact details to phone, email, city and LinkedIn.
- Write results, not duties — and add a number wherever you honestly can.
Mistakes at the top of the résumé
The first few lines decide whether a recruiter keeps reading, so mistakes here cost the most.
1. A generic career objective. “Seeking a challenging position in a reputed organisation to utilise my skills” says nothing about you and could sit on any résumé. Fix: write a 2-line summary that names your target role, your level and two or three real skills.
Before
Objective: To obtain a challenging position in a reputed organisation where I can utilise my skills for the growth of the company.
After
B.Com 2025 graduate with GST return filing and Tally Prime experience from a 6-month internship at a CA firm. Looking for an accounts executive role.
2. Personal-details overload. Father's name, mother's name, date of birth, religion, caste, marital status, nationality, languages known, height and a passport photo use up space and are not needed for most private-sector jobs. Fix: name, phone, professional email, city and LinkedIn (plus GitHub or portfolio if relevant). Add other details only if the employer or a government form specifically asks.
3. An unprofessional email ID. Addresses like cutiepie_rahul99@ or a shared family email look careless. Fix: create firstname.lastname@ or a close variant, and use it for every application.
Formatting mistakes that break ATS
4. Tables, columns and text boxes. Many Word and Canva templates put skills in a sidebar or dates in a table. Applicant tracking systems can read these out of order or skip them. Fix: a single-column layout with standard headings. See how to make an ATS-friendly résumé for the full rules.
5. Skill bars and star ratings. “Java ★★★★☆” can't be parsed, and it invites the question “why only four?”. Fix: list the skill as text; let a project or bullet show how well you know it.
6. A 3-page fresher CV. Long CVs usually come from listing every course, school marks, hobbies and a declaration. Fix: freshers and most people with under 5–7 years of experience should fit on one page. Our one-page résumé guide shows what to cut.
| Cut this | Because |
|---|---|
| “I hereby declare that the above information is true…” | Not expected on private-sector résumés; your signature on the offer covers it |
| “References available on request” | Recruiters assume it; ask for references when they need them |
| Class 10 and 12 marks (if experienced) | Keep only if the employer asks, as many campus drives do |
| Hobbies like “reading, music, travelling” | Keep a hobby only if it shows something relevant (competitive chess, a tech blog) |
Content mistakes in experience and projects
7. Listing duties instead of results. Copying your job description (“Responsible for handling customer queries”) tells the recruiter what the role was, not how well you did it. Fix: start with a verb, say what you did and what changed because of it.
8. No numbers anywhere. Numbers make a claim concrete — how many, how much, how fast, how often. Fix: add a figure where you genuinely know it; if you don't, describe the result in words rather than guessing.
Before
Responsible for handling customer queries and complaints.
After
Resolved about 40 customer queries a day over chat and email for a fintech app, and wrote 12 help-centre articles that cut repeat questions on KYC.
Verb first, scale (40 a day), something you built (12 articles) and an outcome. Use your real numbers.
9. The same résumé for every job. A résumé written for a Java role and sent to a data-analyst opening will miss the keywords recruiters search for. Fix: tailor the summary, top bullets and skills to each job — see how to customise your résumé for a job description.
10. Vague projects. “Made an e-commerce website” could be anything. Fix: name the stack, your role in the team and one concrete detail: “Built the cart and payment flow (React, Node.js, Razorpay test mode) in a 4-person team.”
Mistakes in the final check
11. Typos and inconsistent formatting. “Experiance”, “Mangement”, a full stop on some bullets and not others, “Jan'23” in one place and “January 2023” in another. Fix: run a spell check, read the résumé aloud once, and pick one date format.
12. A meaningless file name. “Resume.pdf”, “CV final final (2).pdf” or “Document1.pdf” gets lost in a recruiter's downloads. Fix: Firstname_Lastname_Role.pdf, for example Priya_Nair_Accounts_Executive.pdf.
- 1
Read it on a phone
Many recruiters first open résumés on mobile. Check that the PDF is readable without zooming in too much.
- 2
Do the copy-paste test
Copy all text from the PDF into Notepad; if it comes out jumbled, an ATS will struggle too.
- 3
Check it against the job
Run it through an ATS score checker with the job description to catch missing keywords.
- 4
Ask someone else to read it
A friend or senior will spot the typo you've read past five times.
Start from a template that avoids the formatting mistakes
49 templates with single-column, ATS-readable layouts and standard headings. Free to build and preview.
Questions people ask
Should I put a photo on my résumé in India?
For most private-sector jobs, no. It isn't required, takes space and photo layouts often parse badly. Add one only when the employer asks, as some government, aviation, hospitality and modelling roles do.
Should I include my date of birth and father's name?
Not on a standard résumé for private companies. Those details belong on application forms or a biodata format when they are specifically requested.
Is the declaration at the end of a résumé necessary?
No. It is a habit from older CV formats. Remove it and use the space for a project or achievement. Keep it only if a form or government application asks for it.
Is a career objective wrong for freshers?
The generic version is. A fresher can absolutely open with a short summary that names the role they want and the skills they bring — that is the modern replacement for an objective.
What if I don't have numbers for my bullets?
Use the ones you know (team size, number of users, frequency, time saved) and describe the outcome in words when you don't. Never invent a figure — interviewers ask how you measured it.
How do I know if my résumé has formatting problems?
Copy all the text from your PDF into a plain text editor. If sections are jumbled or missing, the layout is the issue. An ATS checker will also flag parsing problems.
Fix these mistakes in one go
Rebuild your résumé in an ATS-friendly template, get AI suggestions for vague bullets, and check it against the job before downloading.
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