New Job:
New Year,
Canva’s Template for Success
From portfolios to social media profiles, visuals can help you stand out in your job search. We've gathered insights, tools, and tips to help you harness the power of design to land that dream job in 2024.
But we didn’t want you to just take our word for it. We asked thousands of hiring managers what makes an application stand out. We also surveyed job seekers & recent job switchers about the role of visuals in their applications.
Canva commissioned Sago to survey 5,000 hiring managers and 5,000 job seekers from the US, UK, India, Germany, Spain, France, Mexico, and Brazil.
US
Mexico
UK
Spain
Germany
France
Brazil
India
10,000 job seekers and hiring managers surveyed globally.
The job search has gone visual.
Hiring managers are inundated with words, and job seekers are looking to visual application materials to stand out.
57%
of hiring managers prefer resumes with visual elements vs. all text
71%
of hiring managers expect text-based resumes to become obsolete in the next 5 years
57%
Most job seekers
aren’t fully
satisfied with their resume’s apperance - and want it to be more visual.
Versus alternatives, of those dissatisfied, most want to:
76%
75%
Add visuals
Add color
56%
56%
Reduce text
Make it shorter
When asked what they'd like their resume to look like if they had the needed resources, 75% text / 25% visuals was the top pick.
As job seekers increasingly want to make their resumes more visual, they’re held back by a lack of tools, time, and skills. Among those dissatisfied with their resume’s appearance:
51%
say they don’t have the skills to improve it
42%
say they don’t have access to the tools to improve it
30%
say they don’t have the time to improve it
Job seekers using AI to build or update their resume feel more satisfied with how it looks.
45%
have used
generative AI to build, update, or improve their resume. The impact?
71%
say it made their experience easier
68%
say it saved them time
65%
felt more creative
61%
felt more original
GENERATIVE AI IS A
Satisfaction boost
56% of those using AI for their resume are “very satisfied” with their resume appearance, compared to only 33% of non-users who are.
Template time saver
Non-AI users were 2.5x more likely to build their resume from scratch than AI users (11% vs. 25%).
The right tool in the toolbox
91% of those using AI for their resume say they have the right tools they need, while only 64% of non-AI users say the same.
Canva fact
Magic Write was used 5 million times in resume template designs in 2023.
To make your resume stand out and win over hiring managers, lean into visuals and avoid these gripes.
Visually interactive resumes
Hiring managers prefer resumes with visual elements like images and graphics (57%), interactive, clickable content (55%), and color (55%).
Wordy, static resumes
39% of hiring managers say their biggest grievance with the resumes they review is that they are too text-heavy.
Other words they used to negatively describe resumes were uniform (28%) stale (15%), boring (14%), and old-fashioned (13%).
Digital portfolios are on the rise. Hiring managers want to see them, but only one-third of job seekers are including them in applications.
65%
of hiring managers prefer receiving digital portfolios vs. not
37%
of hiring managers say that digital portfolios have become more common in the last year
Just 34% of job seekers are including digital portfolios in their applications. Of those who don’t:
35%
29%
24%
23%
say they don’t feel it’s needed
say they don’t have access to the tools to make one
say they don’t have the time to make one
say they don’t have the skills needed to make one
Job seekers are including
static and
dynamic
items
in their digital portfolios:
Canva fact
There were more than 900 million uses of portfolio templates on Canva last year.
“My favorite advice to job seekers is to prioritize personalization and align your visual brand with your industry or role. Done right, it creates an immediate connection with the viewer. Whether it’s a pop of color, using layout to highlight unique skills, or your tone of voice, taking extra time to create materials that feel like YOU can have incredible payoff in terms of response rate and ultimately landing the best role for you.”
Amy Schultz
Head of Talent Acquisition, Canva
Your brand matters,
whether you’re an applicant OR a company that’s hiring.
Does a company’s brand influence an applicant’s interest in a job?
83%
of job seekers say yes, that an organization’s brand — presented through style, design, images, colors and language — is influential in their interest in the role
86%
of job seekers say that the visual aesthetic of a company’s social media channels informs their decision to apply for a role
Does a candidate’s digital professional brand influence a hiring manager’s interest in a candidate?
86%
of hiring managers say yes, that a candidate’s digital professional brand — presented through style, design and language in their resume and accompanying documents — is influential in the hiring process
86%
Job seekers understand this, too - 86% estimate that their digital professional brand is influential in the hiring process
Expert tips
Feeling inspired to spiff up your professional brand right here in Canva? Here’s some inspiration to get you started.
Choose a template or layout that reflects your personality, but also suits your industry, with design trends commonly used by brands in your space.
Make clear, simple and concise copy your top priority. Articulate impact and achievements rather than listing responsibilities.
Structure and organization are a key part of visual communication. Even if you’re using muted or traditional colors, a strong layout can go a long way.
Make your materials interactive and engaging for digital viewing — include clickable content or even play with animation.
Adding color can help showcase your personality and help you standout in a sea of greyscale. Look to the tone and style of the industry or organization you’re applying to for inspiration.
Leverage the X, Y, Z technique to showcase wins: “I achieved X, by doing Y, with the result of Z”.
