Color in your Resume

The use of color in your resume is a powerfull marketing tool, as long as you follow certain guidelines to ensure color is used to enhance your resume not weaken it.  Color in resumes when used properly can enhance visual appeal and communicate professionalism.  Color must enhance not detract, from content and formatting.

Is it ok to use color in a resume?

YES, absolutely!  Color in a resume is a powerful tool to differentiate your resume from other candidates.

Any problems with color in resumes?

If you use color in your resume it must be done with care.  The small number who are opposed to the use of color believe the color can make resumes appear 'unprofessional' or 'garish'.   In many cases this is very true -  many who try and do it themselves have no design capabilities. The end result therefore often is a resume that looks childish and stands out for all the wrong reasons. 

However, for those whom use color smartly - the results are well worth is.  If you are attempting to add color to your resume and have no design or recruitment experience, then play it safe and either get your resume professionally designed, buy a pre-designed template such as ours, or design it yourself and check the finished resume with a recruiter. 

Created by Designers approved by Recruiters

All our templates are created by Designers to ensure maximum style and visual appeal, whilst they are also approved by recruiters ensuring each resume template achieves the desired impression and is easy to read.  Our resume templates have the perfect balance between color and empty space to ensure your resume stands out for all the right reasons.

Guidelines to using color in resumes

The use of color in your resume:

1. The use of color must not appear as 'poor taste', 'tacky' or 'garish' (ie. avoid cartoon images and fonts)

2.  Mustn't interfere with 'readability' (either on the computer screen or print version):
     a)  Text should be darker than the back ground (ie. avoid white text on a dark background - headings are an exception)   
     b)  All sections of the resume must be easily identified (ie objective, experience, education etc)     
     c)  Avoid bold graphics or images behind text (except headings)

3.  Make sure the file size isn't too large to send to recruiters, or upload to job banks

4.  If using images, simplistic images ie. logos, cut-out shapes  or block colors are preferred as they are less visually distracting and are less cluttered in appearance

5.  Do not used textured backgrounds or patterns behind the body text,  readability always comes first

6.  Try printing your color resume in black and white. It should still look good and be just as easy to read as it is in color

7.  When printing always use plain paper, avoid textured paper with a background motifs, marble effects or speckles as photocopiers and scanners try to interpret the texture as and dots as letters. Using patterned paper will significantly impair readability and the overal professionalism of your resume.

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