Many companies in India, from large IT firms to small startups, receive applications through software that stores and searches resumes. That software is often called an ATS (applicant tracking system). It does not "reject" you for a plain design, but it can misread a resume that is built in an unusual way, and then a recruiter searching for a skill may never see it.
Keep the layout simple
- Use one column. Side panels, text boxes and tables can be read out of order.
- Use standard headings: Summary, Experience, Education, Skills, Projects, Certifications.
- Choose a common font at 10 to 12 points and keep margins even.
- Do not put your contact details only in the header or footer area of a Word file.
Write for the job, honestly
Read the job description and note the skills and tools it names. Where you really have them, use the same words in your Skills and Experience sections. If the job says "MS Excel" and your resume says "spreadsheets", add the exact phrase. Do not add a skill you do not have: interviews quickly show the gap.
Show results, not duties
Compare "Responsible for social media" with "Grew the college club's Instagram from 400 to 1,500 followers in four months by posting twice a week". The second tells the reader what you did and what changed. Only use numbers you can explain.
Order and length
Freshers should usually keep to one page, with education and projects near the top. With some years of experience, put the most recent job first and keep to two pages at most. Cut anything older than ten years unless it is directly relevant.
Save and send the right file
Unless the employer says otherwise, send a PDF made from a text-based document, not a scan or an image. Name it clearly, for example Meera-Nair-Data-Analyst.pdf.
Check it before you send
Paste your resume into a plain text editor. If the order is jumbled or characters are missing, software may read it the same way. JobPilot's resume checker does a similar check and also flags weak wording and missing sections.