How to Create a Custom Resume Using Google Apps Script

CamelC

14 Feb, 2025

Creating a personalized resume is a crucial part of applying for jobs. While you can always use ready-made templates in Word or Google Docs, why not take it a step further and design a custom resume with the help of Google Apps Script? This powerful tool can automate many parts of the resume creation process, making it easy to format, style, and even populate your resume with data from other sources, like a Google Sheets file. In this article, we will explore how to use Google Apps Script to build a customized resume that is dynamic, professional, and tailored to your needs.

What is Google Apps Script?

Google Apps Script is a scripting language based on JavaScript that allows you to automate, extend, and integrate Google Apps. It can be used to enhance the functionality of Google Sheets, Docs, Slides, and other Google services. Apps Script is especially useful for automating tasks, and it's an excellent tool for those who want to create custom solutions without requiring deep programming knowledge.

Why Use Google Apps Script for Your Resume?

Creating a resume using Google Apps Script offers several benefits:

Customization: With Apps Script, you can create a unique design and layout for your resume, beyond what a template offers.
Automation: Automatically fill in sections with data from Google Sheets, eliminating the need to manually update your resume each time.
Integration: Easily integrate with other Google services, such as Google Drive for storing your resume, or Gmail for sharing it.
Time-saving: Once set up, Apps Script can automatically generate your resume whenever needed, saving you time in the long run.

Now, let’s walk through how you can create your own custom resume using Google Apps Script.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Custom Resume

Step 1: Set Up a New Google Docs Template

First, you need to create a Google Docs file that will serve as your resume template.

Open Google Docs.
Start a new document and design your resume layout. You can include sections like Personal Information, Work Experience, Education, Skills, etc.
Leave placeholders in the document where you want to insert dynamic data, such as {{name}}, {{email}}, {{workExperience}}, etc.
Once your template is ready, save the document, and note down its document ID (found in the URL).

Step 2: Create a Google Sheets File

Next, create a Google Sheets file where you can store the data that will populate your resume.

Open Google Sheets.
Create a new sheet with columns for the data you want to use, such as Name, Email, Phone Number, Education, etc.
Fill in the rows with your data. For example, Row 1 can contain the labels (Name, Email, etc.), and Row 2 can contain the actual details (John Doe, johndoe@example.com, etc.).

Step 3: Write the Google Apps Script Code

Now, we’ll write a script to pull data from Google Sheets and insert it into your Google Docs resume template.

In Google Sheets, go to Extensions → Apps Script.
Delete any existing code and paste the following code:

function createResume() {
  // Get data from Google Sheets
  var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet();
  var data = sheet.getRange(2, 1, 1, sheet.getLastColumn()).getValues()[0];
  
  // Define the document template ID (found in the URL of your Google Docs template)
  var docId = "YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID";
  var doc = DocumentApp.openById(docId);
  var body = doc.getBody();
  
  // Replace placeholders with data from Google Sheets
  body.replaceText("{{name}}", data[0]);
  body.replaceText("{{email}}", data[1]);
  body.replaceText("{{phone}}", data[2]);
  body.replaceText("{{education}}", data[3]);
  body.replaceText("{{workExperience}}", data[4]);
  
  // Save the document as a new file in Google Drive
  var newFile = DriveApp.getFileById(docId).makeCopy(data[0] + " Resume");
  Logger.log("Resume created: " + newFile.getUrl());
}

Replace YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID with the ID of your Google Docs template.
In this script:
- We’re getting the data from the second row of your Google Sheets.
- We replace placeholders in the Google Docs template with the corresponding data from Sheets.
- Finally, the resume is saved as a new file with the person’s name as the title.

Step 4: Run the Script

Once you’ve written the code:

Click on the Run button in the Apps Script editor to execute the script.
Authorize the script to access your Google Docs and Sheets by following the on-screen instructions.
The script will generate a new Google Docs file with the data filled in and save it in your Google Drive.

Step 5: Automate the Process (Optional)

If you want the resume to be automatically generated every time you update your Google Sheets, you can set up a trigger:

In the Apps Script editor, go to Triggers (clock icon).
Click on Add Trigger.
Set the trigger to run createResume periodically or upon edits to your sheet.

Conclusion

By using Google Apps Script, you can easily create a custom resume that automatically populates with data from Google Sheets. Not only does this save you time, but it also gives you the flexibility to update your resume whenever needed without having to manually edit each section. With this approach, you can focus on what matters—crafting a perfect resume, while letting Google Apps Script handle the repetitive tasks.

Websites