The ideal resume content has evolved significantly, and what worked even 2-3 years ago may not work in 2026. With AI-powered ATS systems becoming smarter and recruiters becoming more selective, your resume needs to balance completeness with conciseness. Here's what every section of a modern Indian resume should contain.
Must-have sections: Contact Information (full name, phone number, email, LinkedIn URL, city — no full address needed), Professional Summary or Objective (2-3 lines tailored to the role), Work Experience (reverse chronological with quantified achievement bullets), Skills (technical and domain skills matching the job description), and Education (degree, institution, year, CGPA if relevant). These five sections form the backbone of every effective resume.
Highly recommended additions for 2026: Certifications (cloud, AI/ML, and domain certifications are highly valued — list platform and year), Projects (especially for tech roles and freshers), and a Digital Presence section (GitHub, portfolio website, or notable LinkedIn publications). With AI tools becoming mainstream, listing AI tool proficiency (prompt engineering, ChatGPT, Copilot for specific professional applications) is increasingly valued across industries.
What to leave out in 2026: Remove personal details like date of birth, marital status, father's name, gender, and religion — these invite bias and add no professional value. Skip the 'Declaration: I hereby declare...' section unless applying for a government job that specifically requires it. Don't include references ('available upon request' is unnecessary). Remove outdated skills like 'MS Office proficiency' — it's assumed. And unless you're a fresher, remove your 10th and 12th marks.