Using Color on Your Resume: What You Need to Know

So, you want your resume to stand out.

But will using color in your resume help increase your chances of getting hired, or will it turn potential employers away?

Once upon a time, using color on resumes were generally considered unacceptable. Fast forward to the present and the perspective of most employers has now changed. According to CNBC, most employers will appreciate your creativity in using color on your resume. However, there are considerations to keep in mind.

The right balance will make your resume stand out and will help convey your personal brand. Also, the ways in which you use color on your resume will help direct attention. But when you use color on your resume randomly and without strategic thought your resume can have the opposite effect, looking gimmicky and giving recruiters a negative impression.

Using color on your resume provides you with an increased level of customization and can have a stunning positive impact on the results your resume produces. Some of the advantages include:

Are you considering adding color to your resume? It is important to remember that color choices have consequences. Color affects perception and in the context of a resume color can really impact the first impression your resume makes.

Colors convey different emotions and they influence what we think and how we feel. As already mentioned, color can also direct our attention. On your resume, this means that the careful use of color can help draw attention to points you want to emphasize and also draw attention away from points you want to deemphasize.

Here are a few ways that you can effectively use color in your resume:

If you’re at all unsure whether you want to use color on your resume or wonder if some employers might not be impressed by color, it is a simple process to create multiple versions of your resume with different color schemes, including a black-and-white version.

You can show these versions to trusted friends and family, to solicit their opinions on the colored versions vs the more traditional black-and-white version. And, if you are applying for a job at a company with a very conservative culture and you think the basic black-and-white version will be best, you’ll have it ready.

Use a consistent color scheme to ensure that you’re using colors attractively and professionally. To do this, it is usually best to use no more than three colors – primary, secondary, and accent colors.

For example, you can use black as the primary color, blue as the secondary color, and green as your accent color. You can also create a very attractive resume using a monochromatic color scheme, for example two or three different shades of blue.

Microsoft Word makes it easy to create attractive color schemes by selecting from the pre-set color schemes. You will find these on the design tab, under colors.

Unless you are intentionally trying to draw the eye to a section of text (such as a heading), it is usually best to use only black or shades of gray for the text of your resume.

What colors will look best in your resume? The choices you make about color are important because color helps to reflect your personal brand and can even help tell your story. Don’t just choose any color and pray that the recruiter has a similar taste to yours. The colors you choose will evoke feelings and create an impression, and you should be thoughtful about exactly what image you want to convey.

For example, blue is generally accepted to convey brand attributes like trustworthiness, competence, and responsibility. Green conveys money, revitalization, and nature. Orange, creativity, productivity, and an adventurous spirit.

To pick the right colors for your resume, think about the context of the job you’re applying for, the expectations of your target industry and profession, the theme of the success stories you are telling in your resume, and the brand image you want to convey.

For example, imagine that you are an accountant or finance professional who is bold, confident, and ambitious and approaches every responsibility with a sense of urgency. These brand traits would tend to point to using the color red in the resume. But is red really the best choice for the accounting profession? A corporate finance executive? I’d say no. I would probably choose a green or a blue instead that convey the traits more valued in an accounting or finance professional.

Or, maybe you are known for bringing new energy and ideas and infusing your workplace with positivity. Or maybe you work the solar industry. Perhaps oranges and yellows would be good choices in either of those cases.

Here are a few examples. Imagine how different the first impression would be for these resumes with a different color choice.