Google Docs resume templates

From template to Google Doc, step by step

1. Pick a template from the gallery above and fill it in, or upload your current resume (PDF or Word) and we lay it out.
2. Download it as Word: the Download button at the top right of your resume offers PDF or Word. Building and checking are free; downloading is paid.
3. Upload the .docx to Google Drive (drive.google.com, New, File upload).
4. Open it in Google Docs. Google's help says you can “double-click the Office file” in Drive to open it. You can edit it as a Word file, or convert it to Google Docs format to work on it like any other Doc.
5. Check the layout once after it opens, then edit as you like.

Google describes both routes on its Docs product page: “You can convert Microsoft Word documents into Google Docs format, or you can directly edit Word documents, without having to make a copy.”

What carries over into Google Docs

The Word file is built from standard document parts (the full list is on the Word templates page), and they are the parts Google Docs works with:

• The section titles are “Heading 1”, so they appear in Docs' document outline, in the left margin, and you can jump between sections from it.
• The dates are on a right-aligned tab stop, which shows on Docs' ruler; drag it if you change the margins.
• The bullets are a real list, so Docs' list buttons and Enter for the next bullet work as usual.

Google's help lists what doesn't convert from Office files, such as macros, and embedded charts or videos, which become images. A resume file has none of those.

Why this page shows one-column designs only

Our two-column designs are also Word files, built as one borderless table row with a coloured side panel drawn behind the text. A one-column page has none of that structure to translate, so it is the safer choice for a file you plan to keep editing in Google Docs. One column is also what hiring software reads most reliably (see ATS-friendly templates). The full set, two-column designs included, is on the templates page and the Word templates page.

Is Google Docs good for a resume?

For editing and sharing, yes:

• It is free: Google says “anyone with a Google Account can create in Docs”.
• It saves as you type, works on a phone, and lets a friend or mentor comment on the draft.
• It downloads as PDF or Word (File, Download), so you can send whichever the employer asks for.

The weak spot is the starting point. Some free templates use tables, columns or text boxes for their layout, which are harder to edit and can be read out of order by hiring software. Starting from a one-column file avoids that.

Making a resume in Google Docs yourself

The principles are the same as in Word (one column, real headings, no text boxes; step by step on the Word templates page). What differs in Docs is where things are:

• Heading styles: the style menu in the toolbar (“Normal text”); restyle every heading at once from Format, Paragraph styles.
• Right-aligned tab stop for dates: click the ruler at the right margin and choose a right tab stop.
• Avoid the header area for your name and contact details; type them at the top of the page itself.
• PDF: File, Download, PDF document.

For what to write in each section, see the resume format guides; for a student, the high school resume.

Sending a resume made in Google Docs

• Send a PDF, downloaded from Docs or from here, not a link to the Doc: a link can be locked, changed or not opened at all.
• Name the file with your name and the role: “Ana-Reyes-Resume-Customer-Service.pdf”.
• Check what software reads from your PDF with the free ATS resume checker. It runs on your device, with no account.

Sources

Checked on 4 October 2026.

• Google Docs Editors Help: Work with Office files
• Google Workspace: Google Docs
• CVEmber: How we test our templates with resume parsers