How to Make a Resume from a Template on Google Docs for Free?

June 22, 2022

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In this tutorial, we will show you how to make a resume from a template on Google Docs for free. We recommend you study this manual carefully and start practicing!

Checklist of crucial points we aim to highlight here:

Basic Preparation
Searching for Templates
Getting a Template
Personalizing the Google Docs Template
Other Adjustments
Cover Letter & Signature

In this tutorial, we get and then customize the resume template in Google Docs.

Watch the video from https://thegoodocs.com/ and find out how to make a resume from a template on Google Docs for free:

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NB! We will choose a sample resume template just to basically show you how you can customize it. There is a vast number of resume templates with various structures, designs, etc. So, you can always choose the most optimal resume templates for you.

NB! Please note that we apply all the customization absolutely randomly with the aim of showing you how to use particular options in Google Docs to make a resume from a template here. And you customize your resume template according to your tasks, requirements, ideas, etc.

Basic Preparation

First up, make sure you are signed in to your Google Account.

The simplest way to check that is to go to https://www.google.com/, and on the Google homepage, at the top right corner, check if there is your profile picture or an icon with a person if you don’t have your profile picture. This means you are signed in. So, then you can skip this part

If not, you will have this “Sign in” button, so press it. Here, enter either your email address or a phone number linked to your Google Account. For example, we’re using our email here. And then we press “Next” over here. Now, on this page, enter your password and press “Next” over here. You will be redirected back to the Google homepage, and here you are signed in. You can always check this by looking at the top right corner here. And if there’s your profile picture or an icon with a person, that’s OK

Searching for Templates

From the Google homepage, you can search for templates with a query like “Google Docs resume templates free”

Or you can go to some particular websites with resume templates like “the Goo Docs free templates”. So, enter this query, then scroll down, locating https://thegoodocs.com/ and pressing on it. And we’re on the homepage, and now let’s get some templates

Go to the “Templates” section on top to unfold the drop-down, and here drag the pointer to the “Personal” column and the last item here is “Resume”. So, select “Resume”. On this page, there are, basically, dozens of different resume templates, all free for you, so choose whichever you like and use it absolutely free of charge. And as you can see, there are a few formats here, and to get exactly the Google Docs template, let’s filter them in the “Formats” drop-down and select “Google Docs”

Getting a Template

Now, you can select the resume template you like out of these ones. For instance, we, personally, like simple ones, and in our case, it’s this basic “Job Resume”. So, once you have found what you like, click on its image

And now, on this page, on the left, you can preview the template. And if you like it, next to the preview image, there is the “Edit Template” button. So, locate and press this red button with “Edit Template” on it. Here you choose the suitable format: it's the US letter, which is measured 8.5 * 11 inches, and the A4 format, which is 8.3 * 11.7 inches. For example, we’re going to choose “A4 Template”

On the next page, wait till the download starts, which will be done automatically. And if something went wrong, press “CLICK HERE”. And on the next window, Google Drive will ask you if you want to copy the template to your Drive. So yes, to use it, press “Make a copy”, wait a bit, and it will open in front of you as a common Google Docs Document. But now it is your document that is located on your Google Drive. You can edit it and all changes will be automatically saved. Now let’s customize this resume template a bit

Personalizing the Google Docs Template

So, what you can do to your template is personalize it.

For example, we’ll start from the photo — we’ll click on it and delete it. Now we’ll insert an image here just to show you how it works. We go to “Insert” on the toolbar at the top of the page, then press “Image” and “Upload from computer”. Though, you can choose another option you need. We locate the image, select it and insert it into the template. Here it is. Then you may need to change its size to make it fit better. You can do this by pulling the squares around the photo inside or out. And here we go

Then it’s the name. We clear the line with the name and enter the sample name

Now, on the right, there’s a desired position title, which we clear as well and enter the necessary position. And then some items may go off their place, so you can just clear some empty space where necessary

And here you can enter your email and phone number

And then your information, the education, where you clear the placeholder text and enter your institution data, degree(s), the years of studying, etc. And clear some extra lines if you need

The same concerns the work experience, where you enter the company, your position there, the years of working there, and then some description about your responsibilities at that place. And keep going

Other Adjustments

Now, for the “SOCIAL” section here, we’re going to clear these lines and then insert the links to our profiles instead. You can do that, too. Let’s say we need to show our Facebook profile, so we will type in “Facebook”, then we’ll get a link to the profile, highlight the text, and now we click on the “Insert link (Ctrl + K)” item on the toolbar, paste a link into this field and press “Apply”. The text turned blue and got underlined, indicating that it contains a link, and if you click on the text, here’s the link, and you can go to its source. The same concerns the next line for the social profile

And then your projects (the “PROJECTS” section), where you can insert a logo of the platform and paste a link the same way we did earlier

The same is with the “SKILLS” section. And you may need to add one more position. We’d say the best way to do that is by copying the second line with the text, then we click on the end of the line and press “Enter” three times to create new lines below. And then we paste the data, press on the start of the line, and press “Space” a few times to move the text and make it stand in accordance with the lines above

NB! When we customize the information, we need to remember to add the appropriate logo images on the left of the text lines.

Then there are the “LANGUAGES” and “HOBBY” sections. So, customize everything you need

Cover Letter & Signature

And then it’s a cover letter on the next page.

Nothing new here: your name, position name, links to your profiles and portfolio; you specify the receiver and the date here, too, and so on. Now clear the text and write your brilliant cover letter to describe why you are a perfect candidate for the position you are applying for and impress your future employer

And for the signature, clear the name and insert one if you have it, or create your signature right here inside the document. Fortunately, Google Docs offers such a feature.

So, go to the “Insert” item on the toolbar at the top of the page, then choose the “Drawing” item, and then select “+ New”

On this drawing canvas, you, basically, draw the signature by hand. For that, click on the little triangle near the “Select line” item and select “Scribble”, which is what it sounds like, meant for free drawing by hand, which we use to draw a signature. Now we go on and draw the signature on the canvas. Then you may need to customize it with these tools on the toolbar

For instance, we are making this signature thicker (we press “Border weight” at the toolbar here and choose 8px), etc. And when you finish customization of the signature, press “Save and Close” at the top right corner. The signature is a bit too large now, so, we’ll just decrease it with the squares on its frame. And now it’s good. Here we have it

We hope this tutorial will help you learn how to make a resume template on Google Docs for free. We wish you perfect resumes, great careers, and all the best! Good luck!

Written by

Team TheGoodocs

We are a team of creative people who dream of sharing knowledge and making your work and study easier. Our team of professional designers prepares unique free templates. We create handy template descriptions for you to help you choose the most suitable one. On our blog, you'll find step-by-step tutorials on how to use Google Products. And our YouTube channel will show you all the ins and outs of Google products with examples.