Google Resume Example

Google is known for its dynamic work environment and innovative products. If you’re applying for a job at this tech giant, you’ll need a resume that demonstrates your skills and personality, as well as your drive and ambition.

Here’s how to write a Google resume (according to Google’s own recruiters):

1. Use the chronological resume format

Google receives a huge amount of resumes every day, meaning the easier it is for recruiters to quickly get an overview of your qualifications, the better.

A chronological resume lists your work experience from most recent to least recent and is the resume format preferred by Google, according to a video starring two of the company’s recruiters.

Stick to the standard resume length of one page (unless you’re applying for a tech role, in which case a two-page resume is acceptable) and use the month-year format when writing down your dates of employment.

2. Focus on your accomplishments

When writing a resume for Google, focus on accomplishments from your career, not previous job responsibilities. This shows that you’re goal-oriented and able to deliver results.

Google recommends following the XYZ format:

Accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z

Here’s an example to illustrate what this looks like in practice:

Achieved an 18% improvement in fraud detection accuracy by designing and implementing a new machine-learning model

Structuring your bullet points like in the example above and including hard numbers and percentages effectively demonstrates the impact of your work.

3. Start your bullet points with action verbs

Another piece of advice from Google’s recruiters is to start your resume bullet points with strong action verbs.

A common mistake job seekers make is to begin their bullet points with overused phrases like “responsible for” or “tasked with”. Phrases like these don’t add value to your resume. Action verbs, on the other hand, emphasize your skills and show that you’re an employee who takes initiative.

Some examples of action verbs to use on a Google resume are:

4. Don’t include references

Including references on a resume is typically optional, but Google’s recruiters explicitly say that it’s not necessary to include references on your Google resume. If they want references, they’ll let you know.

Use that space to include even more of your achievements instead, or to add an additional section that proves you’re a well-rounded candidate. For example, publications, patents, or awards.

5. Submit your resume in PDF format

While the format you choose to save your resume in likely won’t be a deciding factor in whether you get the job or not, submitting your resume as a PDF (Google’s preferred format) can only help your application.

When you show that you’ve done your research on how to write a Google resume, you show that you pay attention to detail and are genuinely interested in the job.

For students and recent graduates

Are you a current student or recent graduate? Google has this resume advice for you:

• Place your education section at the top of your resume
• Don’t forget to include your GPA
• Add an extracurriculars section
• Showcase awards and leadership experience

For tech applicants

If you’re applying for a tech role, do this when writing your Google resume:

• List the programming languages you’re familiar with at the top of your resume in order of proficiency (Google especially wants to see Java, Python, C, and C++)
• Include your GitHub profile in your contact information section
• List projects, hackathons, or coding competitions you’ve participated in

When filling in your experience section, mention what programming languages you used on different projects and write them in bold