To stand out in an increasingly competitive market, you need a dynamic resume template that matches your personal brand and level of experience. Despite a near limitless number of layouts and designs to choose from, the best features of a template are accessibility and customization. Google provides a wide variety of resume templates that you can use to present your qualifications in a cohesive and effective manner.
Google templates generally don’t have a defining characteristic. The company offers free templates that tend to be more minimalistic and traditional. You’ll find more diverse and broader collections of Google resume templates from other sites and third parties, though some may require a subscription or one-time payment. From modern two-column layouts to minimalist templates, you’ll have nearly every possible option to choose from. What makes a Google template especially useful for job seekers is that they’re easy to alter, and you can access your resume online from any operating system.
This is an excellent choice for Mac users, as it can be easier to create an eye-catching resume using a Google template instead of Pages. That said, a Google resume template is a viable option no matter your operating system, provided the layout is well-structured, clear, and professional.
With any resume template, the best way to maximize utility is by customizing the design and layout according to your professional needs. While most candidates will benefit from a standard reverse chronological format, there are exceptions. For example, if you’re an entry-level candidate entering the workforce for the first time, you could replace the work history section with internships and academic projects.
Or, let’s say you were looking to transition from a career in education to pursue UX designer roles. Your experience in teaching, learning management systems, and curriculum development could certainly be valuable in informing empathetic user designs. That said, it might be prudent to highlight UX certifications and independent projects higher up on your document, as this shows you’ve cultivated the technical and creative skills to succeed in a new industry.
One of the only major drawbacks of a Google resume template is that your layouts and formats won’t always translate cleanly into a Word document. Employers sometimes prefer Word versions, and the program itself is more intuitive than Google Docs in terms of what you can create from a design perspective.
Every hiring manager is bound to have their preferences regarding resume templates, but this should never be an issue if you take the correct approach. At the end of the day, employers want to be able to quickly assess your qualifications, accomplishments, and skill sets. As long as your layout makes it easy for the reader to navigate your content, the template is doing its job.
In most cases, yes, you should avoid resume templates that might draw attention away from your professional experience. That said, there are situations where a more creative template may be warranted. For instance, if you’re a graphic designer, having a more visually-driven layout makes sense, as it allows you to immediately display your design skills.