Even though it was often assumed that every resumes sent to the hiring manager must be in monochrome, nevertheless, many resumes are now using colors to add elegance and accentuate important fact. The adequacy of color on a resume tends to vary with the recruiter observing your resume, and even some companies are more inclined to endorse color than most others. A settlement must be established among creativity and professional competence. It is justifiable to do so sagely by using color on your resume.
The simple purpose of adding color to your resume is to make the resume more visually appealing, it allows your CV to stand out from other resumes when a hiring manager filters through the candidates for position. You have both alternatives to make resume, if you have skill over the best use of colors in resume and make it appealing you can go with colorful resumes but in case you’re unsure about ability to use colors, you can go with black & white.
In this article, we perceive how and when to use the best color on a resume, along with the understanding of color tenet. Before making your resume colorful you must have knowledge about color psychology, always recall choice of colors is depends on the position you are applying for.
Color Meaning and Psychology
Color psychology is the study of colors in relation to human behavior. It allows us to know how color influences our daily operations preferences, such as the goods we consume. Color can make us Happy and sad as Warm colors can evoke different emotions than cool colors and bright colors can create different feelings than muted colors. Color can make us happy and sad as warm colors can trigger different emotions than cool colors and bright can create different feelings than neutral colors.
Here is the brief list of color psychology:
- Red: Color of passion, anger, drama, excitement and danger. It grabs attention.
- Orange: The color of enthusiasm, success, adventure, creativity, joy and happiness. Orange is motivating and encouraging color which used to fun communication, express freedom and fascination.
- Blue: It implies for trust, confidence, honesty, calm and responsibility.
- Gray: It is a neutral color and represents balance. Gray color implies dignified and authoritative color.
- Gold: It is luxurious color implicit wealth, passion, courage, wisdom, and liberty.
- Black: Color of mystery, power and elegance and look classy.
- Green: It is a cool color, symbolize nature, good-luck, health and strength.
- Yellow: It represents happiness and hopes.
- Purple: Implies for royalty, creativity and wealth.
- White: The color of purity, innocence, cleanliness and virtue. It is cold color.
- Brown: It is the color that evokes sense of strength and safety or security.
- Ivory: It is mixture of several colors that signifies flexibility, clean and crisp.
After studying the psychology of color, you have already discovered what color describes exactly. But not just that, you also need to understand what shades you can use in developing resume.
For Example– Although red color grabs attention, but since it is too vivid for reading and it won’t look appealing, you can’t use it in resume. There are some points you need to go through:
- Readable: Whatever color scheme you choose, the most key thing is that it must be readable. Make sure that the colors you use are high contrast and dark (if you’re using a light background), and that the body text on your resume is always in black or dark gray.
- Contrast: The color you choose for developing your resume make sure they would be in high level of contrast with light background because using too bright color can cause distraction for hiring manager and it would not able to read.
- Color palette: The best color combination in resume allows you to build a subtle hierarchy and guide the viewer’s attention in the appropriate path. It can help HR which section they should read first.
- Hierarchy of colors:
- Primary Colors grab the attention very first and they stand out at top of your
- Secondary Colors are little bit less dominant which allows you to emphasize contents you want to highlight.
- Accent Colors makes your resume more eye-catching and these colors are the best to highlight points like job title, links etc.
Best Resume Colors to Use on a Resume According to Industry/Sectors
- As I’ve already said, the colors on resume usually tend to vary on the profession and field you are applying for. Assume if you are seeking a job in the artistic industry, such as Graphic Designer, Web Developer, Interior Designer, Visual Artist, Animator, Interior Designer, Photographer, Actor, Fashion Designer, Make-up Artist, etc., then use colors in a pleasant way which would grab viewers attention to the significant columns of your resume. Here you can use best colors on resume and make it colorful as well like red & black, purple, blue etc.
- However, you are looking for a position in a more formal field such as Accounting, Engineering, Civil Services, Bank, Nursing etc. avoid using bold colors on your resume. In very professional and formal sectors, getting a vivid resume is perceived to be irritating and unprofessional. You can use dark & decent colors for example navy-blue, black and grey. It will give more appealing look to hiring manager.
Consequences and Advantages of using Color on Resume
Following Advantages of using colors in resume:
- Colorful Resume Grasp Attention: By using color, you can highlight the most significant section of your resume -it can be sections or even words. Ordinarily, the eyes are drawn to the specific contexts on the resume so that you can ensure that the recruiting manager can find the details you most expect them to see and with a brief search.
- Reason to show your Creativity: If you’re applying for creative industry such as Developer, Designer etc., your resume could be a great way to presenting your creativity and skills over colors and design. But if you’re not from creative industry then also its fine you can go with monochrome and colorful resume as well. But always maintain decency & professionalism in resume and don’t use too many colors it should not look it rainbow.
Following Consequences of using colors in resume:
- Effect Readability: Using color without knowledge of color theory can affect your readability. Ensure when you make it colorful, you use color and contrast It can putt-off hiring manager as they would not able to read easily.
Using of colors on a resume, or too much colorful resume is perceived as unprofessional. The traditional resume is black and white. This format is easy on the eyes and easy to read.
How Color on Resume Affect Hiring Chances?
In modern recruiting, the use of color is largely acceptable, but it is not an assurance that if you make vibrant resume, it would not leave any prospective employers with a negative view. It can be but depends on the companies and sectors, you have to be very careful about these things while developing colorful resume.
As discussed above, there are color psychology concepts you need to follow and learn to help you pick the right colors.  A good policy to use color to your resume is split your palette into primary, secondary, and accent colors. That’s the perfect way to get noticed by recruiters and focus their attention.
What does Experts say about Using Color in Resume?
We noted that experts have their different opinions on this topic , some of them believes in black & white resume is always grabs the attention and it would be easy to read whereas, some experts have different views over this such as colorful resume can prove easy to identify sections and helps to decide which section we should read first. But experts agreed to use radiant resume if it is not distracting and irritating.
Summary:
Let’s hope you all understand that how to use best colors in resume and color theory as well as. And if you really don’t know – don’t use color! It is still okay to use monochrome in resume. Using color carefully make your resume stands out.
However, it is also much important to reflect on the content of the resume and highlight the relevant expertise appropriately. Ultimately, these skills and your future worth as an employee will decide your chances of securing an interview and a position.
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