🎨

Using Canva to Enhance Your Resume - Career Coaching Series

Jul 3, 2024

Using Canva to Enhance Your Resume - Career Coaching Series

Overview

  • Speaker: Alex, Career Coach at Uvaro
  • Focus: Using Canva to design and enhance resumes, personal branding
  • Platform: Uvaro (Tech sales training, career services, lifetime support)

Objectives

  1. Understand Canva as a tool to enhance your resume
  2. Learn how to define and add creativity to your personal brand
  3. Avoid common design pitfalls
  4. Find the right template for different industries
  5. Learn what to update for each job application

Why Canva?

  • Easy-to-use design tool with free and paid versions
  • Offers numerous templates for various purposes (social media, banners, resumes, etc)

Steps to Use Canva for Resume Design

  1. Navigate to Canva: Go to canva.com and explore templates under the “Personal” category, specifically “Resumes”.
  2. Template Selection:
    • Choose simple and minimalist templates for clarity
    • Avoid overly graphic or complex templates; they distract from content
    • Filter to see only free templates, if you're not using the paid version

Key Tips

Template Tips

  • Choose templates needing minimal element shifting
  • Ensure the layout priorities experience over education if professionally more relevant
  • Design should not distract; it should enhance readability (3-second scan rule)

Content Tips

  • Create two versions: one with a photo and one without
  • Continuously A/B test to determine which version is more effective
  • Avoid using skill matrices (bars showing proficiency) as they can diminish the perception of your skills
  • List skills plainly instead of rating them
  • Add hobbies or fun facts to show personality and well-roundedness

Technical Tips

  • Group and move elements collectively
  • Use the “duplicate” function for quick additions
  • Utilize elements and icons to add extra flair but keep it minimalistic

Common Questions

  1. Do I need to be good at design to use Canva?
    • No, templates simplify the process; practice makes perfect
  2. Is a funky template better for attention?
    • No, simplicity that highlights content is key; functionality over form
  3. Will applicant tracking systems (ATS) recognize designed resumes?
    • Modern ATS can read PDFs and designed resumes; don't worry about designs hindering the ATS

Additional Information

  • Future workshops on job search strategy and LinkedIn prospecting
  • Upcoming events like Step Into Tech and Demo Day

Final Notes

  • Connect on LinkedIn and share your Canva-designed resumes for feedback
  • Next live tutorial: November 17th, 12-12:30 PM EST

Action Items

  • Try creating resumes on Canva
  • Explore various templates and start designing
  • Attend upcoming Uvaro events and workshops

Full transcript