12 Google Docs Résumé Templates You Should Check Out

You don’t have to create your résumé from scratch. Make your job search easier by using templates. We have selected the best free Google Docs résumé templates for students, new graduates, teachers, and other professionals. All that’s left to do is pick one that fits your profile and customize it with your details.

Good to know: you can also use a Google Docs cover letter template to go with your résumé.

1. Google Docs Résumé Templates

To begin, you don’t need to look elsewhere, as Google Docs provides five free résumé templates. Open Google Docs in a browser, and click on the Template gallery option at the top.

You will find the résumé templates under the CVs section. Included are Swiss, Serif, Coral, Spearmint, and Modern writer. There are some with two columns and some with just one. Click on a template you’d like to preview; you’ll be able to edit the Google Doc right away.

Note: you can use Google Docs templates for every aspect of your life, from the job search to project, event, and travel planning.

2. Hecuba Template

The Hecuba Google Docs Résumé template offers a box design with your profile section on the left and education on the right. This template is suitable for people who want to showcase their skills in a ratings format. The Skills box is present in the bottom-left corner.

Note: if you don’t see the Google Docs résumé templates, you need to change the Google Drive language to English. For that, open Google Docs, then go to Settings icon -> Settings -> Change language settings -> English.

3. Muse Résumé Template

The Muse résumé template is a good choice if you’re looking for a really simple résumé template to get started quickly. It also has sections for volunteer work, skills, and education. This template is ideal for educators and professionals.

Click on the above link to view the template. If you want to edit it, click on File → Make a copy. That will create a new copy of this template in your Google Drive/Google Docs. Open it and start editing, making sure to remove any instructions in the template. Select the instructions, and press the Delete key.

4. Khanya Résumé Template

The Khanya résumé template is an elegant two-column résumé template. Aside from the basic information, like name, number, and social media profiles, there are placeholders for experience, education, objectives, and skills. The top and bottom edges of this template have borders that you can easily remove if you want.

Click on the link to open this template, then on File → Make a copy. This template can be used by all kinds of people, including college students and professionals. Students should remove the “Experience” heading, and replace it with “Volunteer experience.”

Note that you can customize most templates to your needs, including this one. For example, you may want to change the margins in Google Docs to accommodate more content than would have fit on a single page.

5. Harvard Résumé Template

If you prefer classic one-column résumés, the Harvard résumé template is for you. It’s a simple résumé template with bullet points. Professional experience, education, and additional skills are included in the native sections.

To use this template, click on the Make copy button when you open the link. Also check out the Chicago and Classic templates, which are two versions of Harvard.

6. Black and White Résumé

This Black and White résumé is a stylish template that focuses on your photo and the “About Me” section. Both of them and your contact information get a prominent place in the left column, while Education, Experience, and Skills, are listed on the right.

Open the link and click the Edit template button. Select between US letter and A4 template for size, then click on Make a copy.

7. PAVLOS Résumé Template

The Pavlos résumé template is best described as chic and modern. Accented with various shades of teal, sections for profile, experience, education, references, and skills are provided in this two-column CV template with a photo placeholder.

The only drawback is that the elements have been added via Google Drawings. As a result, when you are editing data, all content will open in Google Drawings. Do remember to remove the last page of the résumé template after reading the instructions.

Click on the link, and hit the Make a Copy button. If the direct link doesn’t work, get the template from the official website. Also check out more cool Google Docs résumé templates from resumgo.com.

8. Grigie Résumé Template

The Grigie résumé template is divided into three sections: header, sidebar, and the main section. The header also includes an image placeholder to add your own picture. If, however, you don’t want to include a picture, remove the image box.

To get this template in Google Docs, use the link above. Scroll down and click on Open in Google Docs, followed by Make a copy.

9. Standout-cv Template

If you are an experienced professional, this template from Standout-cv will provide you with sufficient room and formatting for listing your previous roles. The Standout-cv website lists various examples of this template in use.

10. Classy Résumé Template

Another option is the Classy résumé template from Beamjobs. In addition to your work experience, your skills can be highlighted more prominently in this template. It can be used by software engineers, teachers, and managers, among others.

11. TOTH – Portfolio Résumé

Toth is a beautiful Google Docs résumé template to showcase your portfolio, as it offers placeholders for images. It’s suitable for artists, graphic designers, and other creatives who want to display a glimpse of their work through pictures in their résumé.

12. Creative Résumé Template

This Creative résumé template is another creation by Beamjobs. The two-column design helps you condense your skills, education, and work experience into bite-sized chunks of information. Helpful cues guide you while filling in your details.

If your work experience is scarce, you could add volunteer experience in the bottom right. If you can’t fit your relevant work experience on one page, however, you’re better off using a single column template.

Bonus: How to Use a Word Résumé File in Google Docs

There is a very limited collection of free Google Docs résumé templates. However, if you search the Internet for Microsoft Word résumé templates, you will find a plethora of them, so why not use a Word template in Google Docs?

To do so, follow these steps:

Download a Microsoft Word template on your device. It will be in the .docx format. Some of the websites that offer free Word templates include:

• Hloom
• Microsoft Office
• TemplateLAB College Student Résumé Templates
• TemplateLAB Curriculum Vitae Templates

Open Google Drive in a browser. Click on New -> File upload. Add the Word template you downloaded.

3. Open the résumé template. Click on File → Save as Google Docs to create a new version of the template. Go back to Google Drive, and open the newly created Google Docs template.

If you face any issues while following the above steps, check out our detailed guide on how to convert Word to Google Docs. You can also create your own résumé in Word.

Tip: ask a friend to proofread your cover letter and résumé before you submit your application. Here’s how you can track their changes in Google Docs.

How to Share a Google Docs Résumé

Once you have modified the résumé details to match your profile, it’s time to share it with recruiters. You can send them the Google Docs link or download it as a PDF.

1. Share a Google Docs Résumé

Open the résumé you want to share, and click on the Share button at the top.

The Share with people and groups window will appear. Enter the email addresses of the people with whom you want to share the résumé so that only the people added can open the link.

Alternatively, create a link and share it. Do note that anyone with the link can view the résumé. For that, click on Change to anyone with the link. Copy the link and send it via email, messaging apps, etc.

2. Convert Google Docs to PDF

The best practice is to convert Google Docs to PDF, and share the same with others.

Click on File → Download → PDF in the Google doc. Select the desired location on your computer where you want the PDF file downloaded. Attach the PDF file to your email, and send it to potential employers.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I use one of these templates, will my résumé be ATS compliant?

Using one of the templates above, or any other template, will not make your résumé ATS compliant automatically.

Keep in mind that an ATS or Applicant Tracking System analyzes résumés based on keywords. It also strips the formatting. To ensure that your résumé is parsed by an ATS successfully, it’s important to tailor it to match the job description closely and to keep the formatting simple.

If you start with a fancy template, you’ll need to do extra of work to get the formatting right. If you don’t, your data will be displayed incorrectly when it passes through an ATS. We recommend running your résumé through a résumé scanner to ensure that it’s ATS compatible.

Which file format do most employers prefer for résumés?

Usually, a résumé in PDF format is preferred. But there is no hard and fast rule as such. You can also send a Word document or share the Google Docs link. It’s best to check with the employer and to have your résumé ready in multiple formats to share at a moment’s notice.

How do I attach a Google Doc résumé to an email?

You must convert and download the Google Doc into a PDF file and attach it to an email. Alternatively, copy-paste the link into your email to send it to the recruiter.