Projects are one of the most powerful resume sections — especially in India where freshers need to demonstrate practical skills and experienced professionals need to showcase initiative beyond their daily responsibilities. A well-described project can be the deciding factor that gets you shortlisted over candidates with similar qualifications.
The ideal project listing follows this format: Project Title (in bold) | Technologies Used | Duration (if relevant). Below the title, add 2-3 bullet points: First bullet describes the problem or objective, second bullet describes your specific contribution, and third bullet states the measurable outcome. For example: 'E-Commerce Recommendation Engine | Python, TensorFlow, AWS | Jan-Mar 2025. Built a collaborative filtering recommendation system for a mock e-commerce platform. Implemented user-based and item-based CF algorithms, achieving 85% precision in product recommendations. Reduced average user browsing time by 30% in A/B testing with 1,000 simulated users.'
For freshers, include 3-4 projects that demonstrate different skills. Mix academic projects, personal/side projects, and hackathon projects if available. Open-source contributions and GitHub projects carry extra weight with tech recruiters. For experienced professionals, include projects under each role in the experience section or create a separate 'Key Projects' section for cross-functional or notable initiatives that go beyond your job title.
Common mistakes: Don't list the project without describing outcomes (saying 'Built a chat app' tells nothing about its complexity or your skills). Don't include too many small projects — 3-4 substantial ones beat 8-10 trivial ones. Don't describe team projects as solo work — be honest about your role while highlighting your specific contribution.