What are the Best Resume Colors to Use in 2024? (Examples)

Introduction

When you start building your resume, the most neglected thing is the color combinations. But in reality, the best resume colors tell a lot about your professionalism, brand identity, and personality.

Interestingly, 60% or more job seekers make hasty decisions when picking the right resume color. So, that's where you can stand out! Color designs and combinations make a difference when it comes to ATS-friendly resumes. Select the resume colors and supported designs and pick curated resume templates from ResumeUp.

As per professional standards of job-hunting platforms like LinkedIn, subtle resume colors are recommended. Recruiters spend nearly 30 seconds scanning a resume. So, in this limited time, they prefer resumes that are designed professionally with easy readability against the background themes. Are there any secret rules for choosing resume colors? Let's explore!

Should Resumes Have Color?

If we go 20 years back, adding resume colors was seen as totally unprofessional and peculiar. However, the ATS scanning norms and the present expectations from your resume have changed over time.

A subtle colored resume at present not only is accepted but adds value to your attachments. Your recruiter from the bulk can spot your unique resume with due credit to the font color, background themes, and color combinations. At times, such initiatives can tell a lot about your creativity and personality.

But what are the unspoken color rules as per industries? Let’s figure it out.

In Creative Industries

Resume color for creative industries allows some flexibility in vibrant choices. Particularly, industries like advertising and marketing, graphics development, music, art industry, content development, and product design firms can allow you to experiment with resume colors.

You can think about mixed font hues like teal, emerald green, coral, or plum.

In Formal Industries

Formal industries are more particular about the design choices you make and instead prefer traditional font shades.

Definite colors like navy blue, black, forest green, or chestnut brown are the professional choices. When you go with these resume color choices, you prefer bold styles that have easy readability and add a sense of stability.

Sectors like banking, finance, corporates, academics, executive, and public spheres of healthcare are conservative industries where you can go with reliable color codes.

What's the Best Colour for Your Resume?

Expert career counselors have revealed that we all have a colored psyche. These colors convey emotions and have a major role in personal branding.

Conservative Color Patterns

• Black: Black resume choices are more common, but you can have great combinations with other font colors. These black color resume designs are authoritative and show your powerful personality.
• Blue: Blue as a color reveals your calm and confident personality. Particularly for fintech or corporate firms, these resumes are a perfect match.
• Green: Green resumes are also designed mainly for traditional industries. It signifies wealth and money safety or stability.

Off-Beat Color Patterns

• Red: Red, as a color combination for your resume, is enough to seek attention from the recruiters. It defines vibrancy, boldness, and passion for the job role. However, remember red thematic resumes may not be a fit for formal sector companies. You can try them out for the entertainment, marketing, and sales sectors.
• Orange/ Yellow: Those who want a less expressive choice can opt for orange or yellow resume formats. They reflect positivity, sociability, and creative aspects. For freelancing, sports, travel, or relatable fields you can try the resume colors.
• Pink/ Purple: Pink or purple tones somehow add feminine vibes. So, for the beauty and fashion industries, you can build your resume with these rich colors.
• Gray: If you are someone who is less dramatic and always prefers balanced decisions, you can choose gray resume thematic templates for applying for jobs.

How to Choose a Color Scheme for Your Resume: Guidelines

The Psychological Impact of Resume Colors on Your Job Application

The most immediate way of judging your job profile by your hirers is in terms of color formatting. Color preferences can tacitly reflect your personality.

For example, vivid colors like red, black, and blue show powerful and bold individual characteristics. Choices like teal, coral, and plum are unusual. They show your softer side and your readiness to implement outside-the-box brand ideas.

Designing Readable Resumes: Best Practices for Color Selection

Following a consistent color scheme or combination of more than one color in the resume creates visual interest for the readers. Some major color schemes are monochromatic, analogous, and complementary.

When it's about professionally designing your resume, don't use more than three shades, that is, primary, secondary, and accent colors.

For example, for your primary color, you can use black or blue as secondary and light green for accent.

Professional Resume Formatting

The resume colors you choose should be easy for the eyes of the recruiters. Pale colors like light pink or yellow shades may be good for the background but not for font colors.

The most simple-to-read fonts are the opposite color, like black and white, or neutral choices, like navy blue or gray, which shows extreme professionalism.

Use Standard Resume Formatting Practices

There are some unsaid rules for formatting your resume that you must abide by—such as choosing basic colors like gray, black, and blue for acceptability and different color choices to highlight the text of your headings.

Again, the standard resume formatting practices are specific to industries. For creative job spheres, you can format them with bright, appealing colors like burgundy or red. However, such choices are not ideal for conventional industries.

Design Cover Letters with Matching Color Scheme

The other must-attach with your perfectly designed resumes are the cover letters. For that, try to implement font colors that match your resume color scheme.

For example, for your neutral blue and black-themed resumes, you can't use contradictory shades on your cover letter. They should be perfectly aligned on the content as well as the thematic aspects.

3 Templates with Winning Resume Color Schemes

Crafting your resume from scratch is taxing, especially when you have to build ATS-supported ones. ResumeUp offers templates that are ready-made for job seekers. There you can customize colors based on your preference and industry standards. Some samples include—

Classic Templates

Classic templates are recommended for corporate job roles where you can be bold but simple enough. Neutral color bases like navy blue, and sea green shades with common black font combinations can be appealing. Two-shade templates are good for quick scanning, where the recruiter will know what headline highlighters to follow and what to leave.

Standard Templates

Standard Templates are not too dramatic and balance the color duos you choose. Often, these types of resumes prove ATS-friendly for all industries as they are monotonous, bold, and over-expressive.

Panoramic Templates

Resume templates like panorama or creative ones are visually rich and demarcate two or more color schemes. In modern industries like digital marketing arenas, panoramic templates are preferred.

Are Colored Resumes Compatible with ATS Systems?

Apart from the content, structure, and length of your resume, the color scheme also matters to the automated tracking system. As per modern standards, text colors that are similar to the background themes often are harder for the system to scan.

So, by wisely choosing colors like navy blue, black, purple, green, etc., against a lighter background, it is easier for the ATS scanners to read. To make sure that your resume can be read by ATS, try professional subtle colors that don't go overboard.

Selecting the Right Colors for Your Cover Letter

For new aspirants, you must know that resumes and cover letters are complementary to each other. The purpose of your cover letter is to let your recruiter know why you are extraordinary from the rest. It depends on the job type and the industry you are applying to. Typically neutral color tones like dark blue and black are ideal for cover letters. Also, remember that the best resume colors you are applying should also match the text color of your cover letter.

Mainly a cover letter is a space where you can convince the hiring company about your specialty and your approach to problem-solving. It reflects a lot about your personality. So, as per the job type, apply neutral tones like black or gray. But in teaching, support, and recreational industries, you can also use pastel colors like teal or coral alternatively.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Color Choices Affect Your Resume's Effectiveness?

Taking a break from monotonous colors and the use of schematic colors can indirectly impact your resume. Primarily, your resume works in drawing the attention of the hiring managers. They invest time on your resume from tens and hundreds of other applications. Your creativity regarding the right skills of color can convey professionalism to them.

Can Professionals Outside Graphic Design Use Color Resumes?

The use of the right color scheme applies to all industries. In traditional workspaces, recruiters mainly expect neutral shades like deep or navy blue, green accent colors, or black text. But as per modern standards, you can also apply light or monochromatic tones to show your innovation in creative sectors.

What Are the Best Strategies for Incorporating Color Into My Resume?

When you are thinking about using resume colors, make sure it aligns with the job role. Mainly, for planning your color scheme, don't select more than three colors at once: primary, secondary, and accent colors.

Moreover, choose colors that are subtle and easy to read by the recruiters. The resume templates offered by us follow secret color rules and other ATS-friendly patterns.

Can the Color on a Resume Reflect My Brand?

Experts believe in color psychology as per which the shades you choose define your personality or brand. For example, formal colors like blue and green show your calm, composed, confident personality. Red colors are meant for authoritative and passionate individuals, and orange and yellow show your creative and fun brand identity.

What Is the Best Paper Color to Print My Resume On?

As per the professional demands, you should print your resume only on A4 size white sheets. These paper colors and sizes are the common standard that is acceptable for all job industries.

Is It Professional to Use a Colorful Resume Template?

Yes, colorful resume templates are the basic needs as per modern industry standards. For formal sectors, you can choose simple color schemes, or for creative spheres, mainly monochromatic, pastel, or brighter color combos are desired.

Should I Create Multiple Versions of My Resume with Different Color Schemes?

No, applying multiple color schemes or your resume versions won't look professional. Such over-dramatic resume features may lead to elimination from the ATS system. Instead, you can try two to three color combinations for your resume.

Does Color Psychology Play a Role in Choosing the Best Resume Colors?

The color scheme for your resume expresses a lot about your personality. Color psychology means that every color conveys some traits about you to the recruiters. So, don't choose resume colors out of the blue and select only those colors that have some purpose. Make sure it matches the industry type and your personality.

Do Colorful Resumes Make Me Appear Up-to-Date on Trends?

Yes, colorful resumes are a necessity for modern job industries. Unlike conventional work sites which focus only on the content, modern trends are particular about your resume color schemes. It helps to seek the attention of the hiring manager towards your resume.

How Professional Is It to Use Different Color Fonts on Resumes?

Professional resumes demand consistency from your resume. That is, even if you choose an uncommon color scheme, don't try more than three shades throughout the resume. Otherwise, it will look undesirable for a job application.

Final Words

In a nutshell, the best resume colors you choose unveil a lot about your personality and choice to the recruiter. In fact, with professional schematic colors, you can secure your application for the interview round. Applying bold colors makes it appealing and easy to read for the hirers. Even during the ATS screening process, the contrast in your text color and background can help the system detect your content easily. So, what's stopping you from building a resume and customizing your resume templates with ideal colors for free from ResumeUp!