Text-based resumes are out: Canva reveals what hiring managers want to see

It looks like job seekers may have to edit their resumes beyond adding new accomplishments or keywords from a job description. But are they up to the challenge? 

According to Canva, 71% of hiring managers expect text-based resumes to become obsolete in the next five years, and 57% prefer a resume with visual elements over its traditional, written-through counterpart. Workers aren't necessarily opposed to this shift — Canva also found that 57% of job seekers aren't fully satisfied with their current resume's appearance and want it to be more visually appealing. 

"Research shows us that recruiters actually only spend between seven and eight seconds looking at a resume before deciding whether that particular candidate is potentially the right fit for a certain role," says Amy Schultz, global head of talent acquisition at Canva. "Making resumes more interactive, using color, using different fonts, using links to digital portfolios, just helps make it more you. Leaning into visuals and away from pure text is something that job seekers can do to help them shine and stand out in a digital age."

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However, job seekers aren't confident they can make the shift. Of those who are unhappy with their resumes, 51% believe they don't have the skills to improve it, 42% say they don't have the tools and 30% say they don't have the time. Schultz advises job seekers to start with a template or layout that they believe best reflects their personality and industry. From there, it's a matter of placing relevant information in the most simple, concise way possible, making it easy to gain insight about the candidate from a brief skim. For example, a bullet point under one's experience shouldn't stretch across the whole page. Instead, a job seeker can look for a layout where there's more built-in space between the sections of the resume.

"Organization is really key for visual communication," says Schultz. "Even if you're applying to a role in a more traditional industry, you can use traditional colors, but a strong layout can really go a long way."

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Shultz encourages candidates with portfolios to ensure they have a digital version they can include a link to in their resume. If job seekers have a website or LinkedIn profile they feel would offer insight into their capabilities, they can add those links too. Notably, 55% of hiring managers prefer resumes with clickable content, according to Canva. For those afraid of adding color or graphics (like their picture or icons next to each section), Canva found that 57% of hiring managers prefer to see images on resumes and 55% prefer color. 

"You want to highlight your skills and passions," says Schultz. "Essentially, use your [resume] as an opportunity to highlight what makes you, you."

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While the job market has become increasingly competitive for job seekers, Schultz is hopeful tools like Canva can offer some guidance and help candidates stand out. She emphasizes that job seekers do not need to be professional graphic designers or artists to create a visually appealing resume. They just need to be willing to try something new. 

"We ultimately want to empower job seekers who want to make their resume more visual, and feel like they have been held back by lack of time, skills and access to tools," says Schultz. "Potentially that confidence boost might help them apply for a role they may not feel 100% qualified for. If there's a way they can more visually and creatively represent their skills and potential, maybe they'll go for it."