Freshers face a unique ATS challenge: you need to pass keyword screening without having work experience to embed those keywords in. The solution is strategic placement of relevant skills, technologies, and achievements in the sections you do have — education, projects, internships, and certifications.
The optimal ATS section order for freshers differs from experienced professionals. Lead with Education (your strongest credential), followed by Technical Skills (keyword-rich section), then Projects (proof of applied skills), Internships (if any), Certifications, and Activities. This order ensures ATS encounters your most relevant content first. Your Resume Objective at the top should include your target role title and 2-3 key skills from the JD.
Keyword strategy for freshers: You can't embed keywords in work experience bullets, so maximize them elsewhere. Your Skills section should be comprehensive — list every relevant technology, tool, and framework you've learned. In Project descriptions, use the same terminology as job descriptions: instead of 'Made a website,' write 'Developed a responsive web application using React.js and Node.js with MongoDB database integration.' In your Education section, list relevant coursework that matches JD requirements.
Formatting must be strictly ATS-compliant. Use a single-column layout, standard fonts (Calibri 10-11pt), simple round bullet points, and standard section headings. Since freshers should keep resumes to one page, every line must be optimized for both content value and keyword coverage. Our fresher-specific ATS templates handle the formatting automatically — just focus on the content.