If you are looking to improve your chances of landing a job, you will want to hand the right resume in front of hiring managers.
A well-designed and written resume can help you stand out from other candidates and get noticed by potential employers.
While there are many different types of resumes out there, one thing remains true: there are best resume designs, or in this case, the best colors for a resume, and this article will point that out.
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Why It Is Important
If you are in a creative industry like graphic design or web design, you might consider using vivid colors on your resume.
When you do this, you know that an interesting color combination can highlight that you understand how to create unique design elements and stand out from the competition.
You can get more creative with your resume color scheme and consider appealing to the heart of your potential employees by making your resume stand out from other job applicants.
But aside from these creative industries, more color on a resume won’t impress a hiring manager and will only distract them. For this reason, you should avoid colorful resumes unless you are a creative worker.
Things To Avoid
No matter what color you choose, choose just one color and use the same highlight color throughout your resume, with a combination of white and black.
Do not change the colors of the resume in each section. This change will only distract your potential employer and sabotage your appointment.
Your application aim should be to make your resume stand out and be easy to read and understand.
Job seekers who use too many colors are hurting their chances of getting an interview.
Employers and recruiters only spend a few seconds looking at each resume first, so you need to make it in a way that makes it appealing.
This is why you should highlight color sparingly in your resume, perhaps for headers, margins, or key headings.
But body text like your previous work experience and resume bullet points should be black. Remember, you can substitute dark gray for black when choosing resume colors.
You will notice that some resume templates have gray text rather than true black, which is also fine when choosing a color for your resume.
If you’re using a white background, don’t use too light a gray because you want high contrast for better readability.
But dark gray is still easy to read on a white background and a bit softer on the eyes, making dark gray one of the best colors for resume design.
Read More: How To Put Poster Presentation On Resume (Best Guide 2022)
The 3 Best Colors For A Resume
The best resume colors are black, gray, and blue, in that order. Black is the most common color used on resumes because it’s easy to read.
Gray is also a good choice because it’s neutral and doesn’t distract from your eyes or make you feel like you’re reading someone else’s work.
Blue is an excellent choice if you want something that stands out from your competitors’ pages, and if so, keep in mind that certain shades of blue look better than others, depending on how they are used.
If you’re having trouble deciding which color scheme works best for your own resume design, or even if there isn’t an obvious right answer, try these tips:
Black
Black is the color most commonly used on resumes, and according to Monster.com’s resume expert Kim Isaacs, it’s a color that works because it’s powerful, confident, and authoritative.
Black also makes your text stand out against white paper or other backgrounds.
If you want to use black as part of your resume design but aren’t sure where to start or how much you should use it in your layout, here are some tips:
- Don’t go overboard with black; remember that recruiters will read through hundreds of resumes before deciding whom they want to interview.
- Make sure there are no distractions by using big chunks of text or pictures around any small pieces of information contained within black space. This will help keep the focus on what matters most about each section without distracting from what needs explaining.
Gray
Gray can be a great color for your resume. It’s easy on the eyes and professional, but it’s also versatile enough to highlight sections of your resume.
If you’re using a template, it’s important that each section has its own color scheme, so gray works well with other hues in the same family, such as blue.
If you are creating an original design or there is no template available in this style, consider using white text on a black instead of gray text on white background.
This will keep everything more readable at small sizes because it doesn’t have that dark gray background effect that makes text appear blurry when magnified.
Blue
Blue is a perennial favorite. It is professional and calming and can help you stand out as someone who takes your work seriously.
If you are applying for a job that requires a lot of attention to detail, such as graphic design, blue may be the best choice for your resume.
This procedure will make it easier for employers to see what kind of skills you have.
FAQ
What Color Works Best On Resumes?
Black and white create the highest possible contrast, so it is seen as one of the best color schemes to use in a resume.
You can choose a light background and an intense dark font. Remember that your resume may be printed in black and white, so don’t use light on light.
Should My Resume Have The Color 2022?
But will color on a resume attract employers or turn them away? Color used to be widely considered unacceptable on a resume.
But the view of employers is now different in 2022. In fact, resume colors could be an asset to make your candidacy stand out.
How Many Colors Should A Resume Have?
Choose a scheme: A consistent color scheme is important when using color in your CV, as it allows you to use it professionally and attractively. You should use three colors with a primary, secondary, and accent color.
What Color Helps You Get Hired?
Experts today agree that blue is one of the best interview colors. In fact, the job search website CareerBuilder has hosted a good study of 2,099 hiring managers professionals, and blue was the most recommended color for interview attire.
What Are The 3 Most Common Resume Styles?
Chronological, functional, and combined. You can list your work history in reverse order, with the current or most recent job and working backward.
Do Employers Like Colorful Resumes?
Don’t use color on your CV – unless they’re ‘hiring you for your creativity’ There are some expert tips to consider when writing your CV.
Be sure to mirror the language in your job description if it’s relevant to your practice. Use impressive verbs when describing what you did in each job.
Does Color On A Resume Matter?
Bright colors can make your resume hard to read, which won’t help your chances. But more than that, using color on your resume can make you look unprofessional.
Is A 3-Page Resume Too Much?
Using a 3-page resume is not a good idea. Recruiters want job applicants to present their qualifications in a one-page resume format. A 3-page resume for a job most likely contains irrelevant information, and the hiring manager will only have time to read it.
What Is The 3-Color Rule?
The basic premise of the three-color rule is to combine up to three colors in your outfit at a time. The exception is black and white, which technically aren’t “colors” but tones and can be combined as a fourth color in your outfit.
What Is A 3-Color Scheme?
The 3 color scheme uses three colors that are evenly spaced from each other on the color wheel. Examples include: red, yellow, and blue.
Conclusion
If you desire to make a great impression on employers, we highly recommend that you use one of these colors as your resume’s background color.
With these 3 best colors for a resume, the next time an employer asks why they should hire you, it tells them what you can do or how much experience you have.