How To Make a Resume on Google Docs: Steps and Tips

Updated July 14, 2023

Writing a resume is your chance to present your previous experience, education and skills to your next employer. No matter where you are at this stage of your career, tailoring your resume to the job posting and job industry can increase your chances of getting an interview with the hiring manager.

To create an effective resume, it's helpful to use a word processor like Google Docs that offers a variety of templates to help you get started. In this article, we discuss what a resume is, how to make a resume in Google Docs and offer additional tips to help you get your resume noticed by employers.

What is a resume?

A resume is a total overview of your employment experience. It is a document that can include professional work experience, educational institutions you attended, volunteer experience and any awards and accomplishments that you achieved. Overall, your resume explains to an employer why you are qualified for the job they are offering.

Image description

"Resume Format" is the title of this infographic that shows an image of an example resume.

On the left side of the infographic, a numbered list points to each section of the resume.

Name and contact information
Summary or objective
Professional history
a. Company name
b. Dates of tenure
c. Description of role and achievement
Education
Skills
Optional (Awards & Achievements, Hobbies & Interests)

On the right side of the image is a sample resume with the name Janet Chobot and lines representing text underneath. Then the headlines Summary, Professional History, Educational History, Skills, and Awards & Achievements. Under each section are lines representing text.

There are many ways you can approach crafting your resume. If you're looking for a swift method that can maximize time and efficiency, then you should try building a resume with a template in Google Docs to make your resume more polished and increase the likelihood of it being noticed by applicant tracking systems.

How to make a resume in Google Docs

Here are the steps you should follow to effectively create and customize your resume with Google Docs:

Create a Google account or sign in to your existing one.
Go to Google Drive and proceed to the template gallery.
Choose your ideal template.
Fill in the template with your experience.
Create copies of your resume in Google Drive.

1. Create a Google account or sign in to your existing one

You need to have a Google account to gain access to Google Docs and its resume templates. If you already have an account but forgot your password, reset it so you can sign in.

2. Go to Google Drive and proceed to the template gallery

Once you're logged in, click on "New" at the top left-hand corner of your screen, select Google Docs and click "From a Template." You can also access these templates if you go straight into Google Docs. You can select "Template Gallery," which appears near the top of the webpage once you click on the Google Docs application. Once you have access to the gallery, you can choose from a multitude of templates to personalize your resume.

3. Choose your ideal template

There are various designs you can select to make your resume stand out from other applicants. Here is a list of the templates commonly used in Google Docs.

Coral

Coral is considered one of the simpler resumes, yet its presentation can give a recruiter a chance to briefly read and identify your experience and skills in previous roles. The biggest difference with this resume is that skills are listed before experience, which can be beneficial if you have an extensive list of skills or gaps in your work history.

Modern writer

This type of resume uses an assortment of fonts that can be compared to a typewriter. Also, your name is presented in a larger font than in other resumes. It will be imperative for you to demonstrate your experience in a way that can attract notice consistent with the style of your resume.

Spearmint

This resume has a purely professional style, and it shows your name and your occupation before the list of contact information in the top left-hand corner. The look of this template works well if you have worked in many previous positions, so it is best to be concise in showcasing your experience.

Serif

This is a great resume style if you are using templates for the first time. It allows you to fit two columns within a one-page resume, which is the typical resume length. Here, you can save space to highlight your most relevant experience while leaving the necessary room for skills, awards and languages.

Swiss

Lastly, the Swiss resume is one of the most scannable templates you will find in Google Docs. It has a unique design in addition to visually appealing sections. It's also a pleasant use of space that outlines what each section of your experience offers. Google Docs offers a matching cover letter template, so use these templates together to draw additional attention from a recruiter.

4. Fill in the template with your experience

Once you know which template you want to use, fill in your information within the outline. Your resume should include these common sections:

Name and contact information
Resume summary and objective
Education
Professional history
List of relevant skills
Additional certifications and awards

When writing a resume, regardless of the template selected, avoid listing your duties in each position. Instead, each bullet point or paragraph should answer the question of how you added value for the organization, team and customers/clients in your role. Start with an action verb, then identify your skill or responsibility, and end with the outcome.
—Genevieve Northup, MBA, SHRM-CP, HCI-SPTD

Remember, some templates have different locations for each of these sections, so choose one where you can most effectively showcase yourself.

5. Create copies of your resume in Google Drive

Once you have finished creating your resume with your chosen template, you can produce copies for each new position you apply for using Google Drive. You can modify the information on your initial saved resume in Google Docs according to the posting of a different job. Once you have done this, go to the "File" menu and rename your document. The original copy of your resume automatically saves within Google Drive.

Tips for crafting a resume in Google Docs

When you're working on your resume, consider these tips to make an even bigger impact on a recruiter:

Rework your resume for a different position

Each employer uses different keywords to see if an applicant possesses the skills they are seeking. Therefore, using a scannable resume and structuring its language to include those keywords makes you a more viable candidate. This is a great strategy if you are looking to work in a new industry.

It is so easy to submit the same resume to countless jobs online, but greater volume doesn't mean you are going to get anywhere. Though more time-consuming, your resume will stand out to applicant-tracking software, recruiters and hiring managers if it is customized to each organization and position for which you are applying. Include keywords from the job posting when describing your experience and ensure your summary answers the question of why you're a strong candidate for the role.
—Genevieve Northup, MBA, SHRM-CP, HCI-SPTD

Share with a friend

You can share your resume in Google Docs with a friend or family member so that they can easily review, make edits and leave comments within the document. To do this, click the blue "Share" button in the top right-hand corner of the screen, add their email under "People" and adjust the setting so that they can edit the document.

Include a cover letter

Adding a cover letter can only have a positive impact on your job search. Therefore, write a cover letter and ensure that the template for the resume in Google Docs matches the cover letter template you decided to use. Employers may not penalize for consistency, but it can be beneficial and appealing to match your contact information, font or style.