Using Canva to Write Your CV

Canva CV is a very popular type of a CV, and if you’re thinking about using Canva to write your CV – you’re not the only one. We get asked about templates a lot so we decided to write a few words on the topic.

So, buckle up and let’s find out if you should be using Canva to write your CV.

Why do people like using Canva to Write CVs?

For sure, the first and most obvious reason is: convenience. Because it generates the template for you. And you just need to populate it.

Now, we’re not fans of templates at Linking Lines and we never use them but we understand why some jobseekers would want to use Canva templates. You included.

So, if you go for using Canva to write your CV, we’d suggest the following:

• choose a template that’s easy to read and follow
• avoid templates where you have to insert your photo
• try to find a template that utilises most of the page (so there’s not a lot of unused space)
• don’t get distracted by colours, tables, graphs (most industries don’t require this level of creativity, if we can call it that)

You can get results with templated CVs (resumes), that’s without question. It all depends on the content you put in, because the template alone will not make you stand out. Especially if you’re using Canva to write your CV – those templates are free and accessible to everyone. And that means that you and the other 36 candidates can have exactly the same template. Keep that in mind.

Why avoid using Canva to write your CV?

Now that we understand why people want to use Canva, let’s take a look at a list of reasons why you should think twice before you use Canva or other templates.

Standing out (the wrong kind)

In today’s competitive job market, standing out from the crowd is more crucial than ever. And you don’t want to stand out in the wrong way; with a bad, over-the-top visual CV.

Uniqueness

As we already mentioned, Canva templates are easy to find, free (loads of them), and accessible so anyone can use them. This means you are no longer special if you use it to write your CV.

Restrictiveness

The next reason is: templates are restrictive. It’s not like creating a blank document in Word and shaping it to your liking. You have to work with what you have. You could spend an hour or more working on your CV in the Canva template and then realise you don’t really like it because you can’t fit everything you want to, and it just looks weird if you try to tweak the template itself.

False security

While templates really can produce sleek CVs that make you look super professional, there’s a downside to this. Many jobseekers think the look of the CV alone will secure them the job interview, which is not the case. You still have to put in the work and have high-quality content in that template. So, if you’re using Canva templates to write your CV, don’t rely on them too much and make sure you share quality content.

Conclusion

While Canva templates and all the other sites that offer the same thing can give you a quick and easy way to create a CV, there are things to be mindful of. The most important thing for you to remember is, that if you are going to use Canva templates to write your CV, make sure that it’s easy to read and that you put in the effort in the content as well.

If you tried a templated approach to job search and it didn’t work – we’ve got you. Check out our services page and find the right package for you. We’d love to help you secure more job interviews and boost your career.