As you prepare to start your career, you need to know what employers are looking for in a potential employee. To have a chance of getting a job in the current job market, freshers need to stand out from other job seekers. You need to show the recruiter, hiring manager, and company that you are the right fit for that role—and that you will be able to do your new job well. 

That’s why many people are searching for the best resume format for freshers. The best resume format? That depends on so many factors. Is it more important to list accomplishments or skills? Are some formats better than others? Are there any specific formatting rules that everyone needs to follow? Let’s take a look at each of these questions and see what we can learn about which resume format might be best for you, in this blog. 

What is a Fresher Resume?

Fresher Resume formats are the most common type of resumes that most recent graduates use. Job seekers who are fresh out of college are often unsure if they have the right skills to land a job. These individuals may have skills that match the job requirements, but they’re not better than their competition because they’ve yet to receive experience. So, it is better to use a format that highlights their skills more.  

A fresher resume format is used when you’re looking for a job for the first time, in between jobs, or if you’re changing careers. It is helpful in highlighting your education and work experience (if there are any). You may also see this format referred to as an objective resume or a career transition resume

How Many Resume Formats are There?

According to EZResume, the best free resume builder online, there are a number of different resume formats to choose from, for every type of job and industry. Below, you’ll learn about 3 most common resume formats and what sets them apart from each other.  

Check out Resume Template

1. Reverse-chronological Format 

The first, most simple resume format, and the most widely used one too, is the reverse-chronological resume/CV. You highlight your experience and career history in a reverse-chronological resume (You do it reverse by mentioning the most recent experiences first). 

In this format, you’ll begin by detailing every one of your prior jobs and professional experiences in reverse chronological order. This structure is the easiest and one that hiring managers see most frequently. 

It’s built up like this:  

• Your full name  
• Job title (ensure to match it with the title in the job description)
• Contact details (address, phone number, and your professional email) 
• Personal details  
• Profile Summary 
• Work Experience/ employment history (mainly internships for freshers) 
• Education and qualifications 
• Skills  

2. Functional Format 

The functional format is the second. Due to the fact that it places more emphasis on an applicant’s talents than their employment history, this style is often referred to as the skill-based format. Due to the lack of use and disinterest of many recruiting managers, it is also the least common CV format. 

3. Combination Format 

Lastly, we have the combination resume, also known as the hybrid resume. As the name implies: The chronological and functional resumes are combined in the combination resume format. 

You may have the best of both worlds with the hybrid resume format. You will start by stating your qualifications and experience. The following section is about your work history. By doing so, you may still give the recruiter information about your work experience while highlighting the talents that are pertinent to the job. 

Remember to always place the additional skills section after the skills section when moving the experience and skills parts. 

What is the Best Resume Format for Freshers?

After reading about the different resume formats above, you may be wondering: which type of resume is best for a fresher? There are a couple of ways in which you can write your fresher resume but the format we would recommend is the reverse-chronological format. 

Even if you don’t have much professional experience yet, you can still make this format work for you. Instead, concentrate on your courses, accomplishments, abilities, internships, volunteer work, and awards. 

Read Here Guide to Write a College Resume 

How to Make a Resume for Freshers

Let’s explore each element of the resume format for freshers in more detail. 

1. Proper Headline 

When you start your resume, don’t just list your work experience followed by your education. Instead, start your resume by addressing who you are, your contact details, desired job position, etc., in the form of a headline/header. This may sound silly, but remember that employers will see your resume before they speak to you so make sure you have got your header right. 

Here’s how to make a resume header: 

• Enter your full name 
• Write your desired job position 
• Add your phone number 
• Don’t forget about your email 
• Consider adding your LinkedIn URL 

Example 

Naina Sharma 
Business Analyst 
+1-727-203-7931
naina.sharma@gmail.com 
linkedin.com/in/nainasharma

2. Work Experience 

Again, employers are looking closer at your work experience than your education. So, make sure to include every job and internship experience you’ve had in the work experience section of your resume. If possible, try to find work experience that relates to the job you’re applying for. This will make you seem more professional and relevant. However, you can also include generic experience, such as working at the coffee shop down the street or working at the local bookstore. If you can, try to find a specific experience that relates to the job you’re applying for. 

Example 

Finance & Accounting Intern 
January 2018–December 2018 
(Location) 

Responsibilities  

• Helped with account analysis, executing purchase orders, and bank reconciliations. 
• Archived bank reconciliation records and cash receipts. 
• Collected and examined worldwide market intelligence and data. 

3. Education 

Either you’re still in college or you recently got your degree. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the education section is at the core of a successful resume format for freshers. 

Here is how to do it correctly: 

• Your credentials should be listed in reverse chronological order. Include each degree, institution, and actual graduation year. 
• Only if you lack any relevant professional experience or your first college degree, could you provide your Class XII and Class X grades. 
• Your CBSE or equivalent results should be added. Give your CGPA for your university education. Afterward, include bullet points that elaborate on your academic standing and interests. 

Example 

Majoring in Marketing  
XXXX University   
2020 – Present  

Relevant Courses: Managerial Communications, Principles of Marketing, Quantitative Methods, and Macroeconomics.  
These bullet points can cover specializations, licenses, courseworks, academic areas of interest, awards and accolades, and relevant extracurricular activities. 

4. Skills 

There’s no doubt that achievements/awards are much more significant than duties. But what if you don’t have any work experience at all to achieve them? You can still make a great skills list, tailored to your dream job requirements.  

Make a comprehensive list of all of your skills to start. Even if you don’t have any work experience, you almost certainly have plenty of activities from school, internships, extracurricular activities, or hobbies. Include both soft and hard skills, as well as knowledge of software and computers. 

Here are the top skills you can add: 

• Effective Communication Skills  

Communication skills are crucial for many jobs. Strong communication skills will be helpful if you have to write reports and emails.  

• Strong Research Skills  

Research skills are crucial for almost every job. You’ll use these skills when you’re performing your own research on a topic. This will also help you to learn more about a company and the industry that you’re in.  

• Technical Skills  

Technical skills can be useful in a wide variety of fields. You want to make sure that you include any technical skills that are relevant to the job. 

• Teamwork Skills  

Teamwork skills can be useful in almost every job. They’re especially important in high-pressure environments.   

• Problem-solving Skills  

Problem-solving skills can be useful in almost any job. They’re especially helpful when you have to solve a problem that has no right answer.

5. Career Objective 

The main element on your resume format for freshers should be your career objective. This should be the most basic objective that you have ever written. You should have an objective that explains why you want the job and why you would be a good fit for the role. It should relate directly to the job you’re applying for.  

For example, if you’re applying for a job in marketing, your career objective may be to increase the number of subscribers to the company’s client list. This is important because it will help you demonstrate how your qualification and skills relate directly to the job duties.  

Example 

A hard-working individual with a proven track record in implementing successful marketing strategies, improving search rankings, and boosting organic traffic seeks a position of Marketing Associate at ABC company to maximize brand awareness and revenue.

Also, Read How to Write Career Goal Statement  

Tips To Create an Effective Fresher Resume

Let’s get your Resume prepared now that you know what sections to include. The following are the main steps to creating an efficient yet basic resume format for freshers: 

• Proofread your resume. 
• Make your resume easy to scan. 
• Ensure your resume is easy to read.  
• Stick to the right length for a fresher resume. 

Additional Tips to Remember 

• A clear and straight objective statement works best.  
• Always consider providing the main information (e.g., skills, education) in bullets so that recruiter can easily notice. 
• Keep all other sentences to the point. Write only as much as needed and no more. 
• Use job keywords in your resume so that it can pass the ATS scan. 
• A single-page resume is considered best for freshers.  

One can say that a resume is basically a summary of your work history and education. Employers will only look at your resume if they want to interview you. So, make sure to do your best to impress hiring managers by using the best resume format and creative template from high-quality resume builders like EZResume.  

Keep these key points/tips in mind to make sure that your resume format is the most effective it can be. Your improved fresher resume will help you stand out from other candidates and get invited to interviews. Also, if you are facing problems in finding the perfect jobs to apply for, download EZJobs. It is the best job portal where you can find more than a million job opportunities.