Thinking about using Canva to create your resume?
With its stylish templates and user-friendly design tools, Canva can seem like an ideal choice for crafting a visually appealing resume.
But is it that true?
Some argue that Canva resumes look too informal or aren’t built with recruiters in mind, while others praise their modern, eye-catching layouts. And with so much mixed advice out there, it’s difficult to know what works.
Do hiring managers prioritize clean design or strong content? And are Canva resumes even ATS-friendly?
To help you make an informed decision, we’ve created a comprehensive Canva resume review, so you can weigh the pros and cons and see whether it’s the right tool for your job search.
We’re going to cover:
- Canva Resume Pros and Cons
- Canva Templates vs Adobe Resume – Which One Is Better?
- Canva Resume: Should You Use It or Not?
…and more. Let’s dive in!
Looking to make a standout resume that hiring managers will notice? Use one of our modern resume templates!
Our resume builder will help you create a strong job application in minutes.
What Is the Canva Resume Builder?
Canva Resume Builder is an online design tool that lets you create resumes using drag-and-drop features and pre-made templates. Unlike traditional resume builders that focus mainly on text, Canva emphasizes visual design and creativity.
The platform offers hundreds of resume templates with colorful designs, graphics, and modern layouts. You can customize fonts, colors, icons, and add visual elements like charts or infographics to make your resume stand out.
The platform is web-based, so you don't need to download any software. You simply choose a template, replace the placeholder text with your information, and customize the design to match your preferences.
However, while Canva excels at creating beautiful resumes, there are important considerations about ATS compatibility and professional standards.
ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) are tools that most companies use to automatically scan and filter resumes before a human even sees them. These software often struggle to read resumes with complex designs, multiple columns, images, icons, or non-standard fonts, which are common in many Canva templates.
As a result, even a well-designed resume might get rejected simply because the system can't parse the content correctly. To stay on the safe side, you should stick to tried-and-tested templates, avoid graphics and text boxes, and export your resume as a plain PDF optimized for ATS readability.
💡
Pro Tip
Find out what the perfect resume looks like and make sure yours gets noticed. Our easy-to-follow guide walks you through the best layout, structure, and design choices that hiring managers want to see.
3 Canva Resume Templates
Green Black Simple
The Green Black Simple template lives up to its name with a clean, minimalist design that makes information easy to find. The clear typography and well-organized sections create a professional appearance that works well for traditional industries like finance, consulting, or healthcare.
The template's straightforward layout ensures hiring managers can quickly scan through your qualifications without getting distracted by unnecessary design elements.
However, this template has some drawbacks that could hurt your job prospects. The single-column format wastes valuable space and might force your resume to spill over to a second page, especially if you have extensive work experience.
Additionally, the template lacks a dedicated skills section, which is crucial in today's job market. Without a skills section, you'll miss opportunities to include important keywords that ATS systems scan for.
Blue and Gray Simple
The Grey White Modern template excels at creating a balanced, professional layout that's easy on the eyes. The excellent use of bullet points makes your accomplishments and responsibilities stand out clearly, while the well-distributed white space prevents the resume from looking cluttered or overwhelming.
This template strikes a nice balance between modern design and traditional professionalism, making it suitable for a wide range of industries.
One of the key drawbacks that could undermine your application is that the skills section blends hard and soft skills together. It makes it more difficult for hiring managers to distinguish between your technical expertise and your interpersonal strengths at a glance.
Besides that, including a references section wastes valuable resume space for more important information. Unless specifically requested by the employer, it's typically better to leave references out entirely.
Green Elegant
The Green Elegant template is an instant eye-catcher with its visually striking and creative design. The sophisticated color scheme and elegant layout elements create a memorable first impression that can help your resume stand out in a stack of plain, text-heavy applications.
However, the numerous design elements, graphics, and complex formatting make this resume incompatible with ATS systems that screen the majority of job applications today.
With over 70% of resumes being rejected during initial ATS screening, using a heavily designed template like this essentially guarantees your application will not reach human eyes.
Unless you're specifically applying for graphic design roles where the resume itself serves as a design sample, this template will likely hurt more than help your job search.
💡
Pro Tip
Want to get past the bots? Learn how to write an ATS resume that gets seen by recruiters
Canva Resume Pros and Cons
Like any resume builder, Canva has its strengths and weaknesses. Keeping both sides in mind helps you decide if it's the right tool for your job search needs.
4 Pros of Canva Resumes
Canva offers several advantages that make it popular among job seekers, especially those in creative fields. Here are the main benefits of using their resume builder:- User-friendly interface. The drag-and-drop editor makes resume creation simple, even for people with no design experience. You can easily move elements around and see changes in real-time.
- Numerous templates. With 300+ resume templates available, you'll find options for almost any industry or style preference. The variety ranges from minimalist designs to bold, creative layouts.
- Cost-effective. Many templates and features are available for free, making it accessible for job seekers on a budget. Premium features are reasonably priced compared to professional design services.
- Brand consistency. You can match your resume colors and fonts to your LinkedIn profile or personal website for a cohesive professional brand.
5 Cons of Canva Resumes
Despite its visual appeal, Canva has significant drawbacks that could hurt your job prospects. These limitations make it unsuitable for many professional applications:- Omit important information. Many Canva templates prioritize design over content, leaving limited space for your work experience, skills, and achievements. Some templates completely lack essential sections, like certifications or volunteer work.
- Not ATS-friendly. Most Canva resumes fail to pass through Applicant Tracking Systems due to complex formatting, graphics, and non-standard layouts. This means your resume might never reach human eyes.
- Hiring managers don't like Canva resumes. Many hiring managers view overly designed resumes as unprofessional or assume candidates are hiding weak qualifications behind flashy graphics. Traditional industries prefer clean, text-based formats.
- Limited to one page. Canva templates are designed for single-page resumes, which don't have enough space for experienced professionals with extensive work experience, multiple degrees, or significant achievements.
- Poor formatting for printing. Many Canva designs don't look good when printed out, with colors that appear differently or elements that don't align properly on paper.
💡
Pro Tip
Stay ahead with the latest resume trends hiring managers can’t ignore – and find out how to use them to boost your own.
Novorésume Templates vs Canva Resumes – Which One Is Better?
While Canva focuses on visual appeal, Novorésume prioritizes what matters in hiring - getting past ATS systems and impressing recruiters with professional, content-focused designs.
Novorésume templates are specifically engineered to pass through ATS while maintaining a clean, professional appearance. Unlike Canva's graphics-heavy designs, Novorésume uses text-based layouts that both robots and humans can easily read and process.
The bottom line is simple – if you want a resume that gets you interviews, choose Novorésume.
💡
Pro Tip
Ready to upgrade your resume? Follow these expert-backed tips and examples to craft a resume that captures the attention of modern hiring managers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways
And that's a wrap!
By now, you should have a clear understanding of whether Canva is the right choice for your job search or if you'd be better off with a more traditional resume builder.
Before you go, let's quickly recap the most important points we covered in this article:
- Canva prioritizes design over functionality, with templates that often lack essential sections like skills or certifications.
- Most Canva resumes fail to pass through Applicant Tracking Systems due to complex formatting and graphics, meaning your application may never reach human recruiters.
- Industry matters significantly when choosing Canva - it works best for creative roles in graphic design, marketing, or media, but it's unsuitable for traditional industries.
- Many recruiters view overly designed resumes as unprofessional or assume candidates are trying to hide weak qualifications behind flashy graphics.