Guide to Using Colour on CVs and Career Documents

Hiring managers don’t see candidates in terms of black and white. Not anymore, anyway. To make your CV stand out to human readers and highlight achievements, it is important to incorporate colour into the design.

When using colour on career documents, it is essential to consider colour theory and colour psychology.

Colour theory is the collection of guidelines and principles that designers employ to communicate with users.

In 1666, Sir Isaac Newton defined three groups of colours:

  • Primary (red, blue, yellow)
  • Secondary (mixes of primary colours — orange, purple, green)
  • Tertiary (also referred to as “intermediate” — these are mixes of primary and secondary colours)

The breakdown of colours:

  • Red (primary)
  • Orange (secondary)
  • Red-Orange (tertiary)
  • Yellow-Orange (tertiary)
  • Yellow (primary)
  • Yellow-Green (tertiary)
  • Green (secondary)
  • Blue-Green (tertiary)
  • Blue (primary)
  • Blue-Purple (tertiary)
  • Purple (secondary)
  • Red-Purple (tertiary)

Note that the colours on a screen don’t look the same in print. The RGB colour profile combines red, green, and blue hues to create colour variations. This colour mode applies exclusively to digital displays (computer monitors, mobile devices, and television screens). However, colour elements vary across different computer systems and models, so an RGB colour on an iPad may look different than on a Chromebook.

An RGB profile uses an “additive” process to produce colour by blending light. The colour displayed on your screen depends on the presence or absence of RGB base hues. The presence of all RGB hues at full intensity yields white, while the absence of colour produces black.

In contrast, print documents are based on a CYMK colour profile, which contains cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black) that combine to produce a range of hues. This four-color process works for any printer. Look at a printout through a magnifying glass to see the four-colour dots that layer to create different hues and gradations. As with RGB profiles, a CYMK colour profile varies among different styles and models of printers.

CYMK uses a “subtractive” colour process. As inks and dyes are layered upon each other, they subtract from the white of the paper. (Think of it when you were a kid — when you mixed lots of different paint colours, it created a dark colour — sometimes an ugly brown or black. Using fewer colours created a lighter colour, an example of the subtractive colour process.)

Most modern CVs are viewed on screen, so RGB is the primary factor in choosing colours. However, CVs are sometimes printed out, so make sure the document still looks appealing in print form.

Like font choice, colour choice is often a matter of personal preference. Colour theory is a fact (the practical application of mixing and matching various hues), while colour psychology is a choice. Colour psychology is the influence of colours on human mood and behaviour.

At its most basic, CV colours should reflect your personality and positioning. You can also apply colour psychology to create a positive psychological impact on the reader. Colour choices should also consider accessibility, including for readers with red-green colour blindness.

Even though dark text on a light background is easier to read, white letters on a dark background are still in compliance with accessibility guidelines because of sufficient contrast. Reverse text (for example, black text on a blue background) can be an issue when using a low-contrast colour on a low-contrast background, so high-contrast is preferred. Text that is larger and has broader character strokes is easier to read; therefore, an 18-point bold font can have lower colour contrast than a 12-point serif font.

Some hiring managers and recruiters strongly prefer the use — or avoidance — of colour on career documents. Colour is definitely best for specific industries, such as design, art, education, advertising, music, and fashion. Increasingly, traditional sectors recognise how effective colour and design can attract the reader’s attention.

However, some hiring managers like tradition and dislike seeing colour anywhere on a CV. If a recruiter asks you to remove the colour from your documents for a specific application, do a “save as” of the file and remove the colour. But for most direct applications with a company, it’s perfectly acceptable to include colour unless otherwise specified.

Colour psychology is largely affected by personal preference and perception. However, research has identified specific characteristics associated with particular colours.

For example:

  • RED  can portray strength, confidence, power, and passion. It’s an effective way to draw user attention (a “call to action”). Still, use it sparingly to avoid negative reactions. Commonly used in sales, marketing, and technology CVs.
  • ORANGE is fun, energetic, warm, bold, adventurous, and friendly. It connotes power and confidence. It can also demonstrate creativity and adventure. Consider using it for customer service, design, arts, and sports CVs.
  • YELLOW  could signify happiness, optimism, inspiration, and confidence. However, too much yellow may bring negative reactions, such as anxiety or fear. Yellow could be used on CVs for artists, designers, and educators.
  • GREEN is calming and peaceful and can convey the impression of growth. It has more positive energy than other colours but can sometimes be associated with inexperience or new beginnings. It can be effective for science, sales, health industries, and non-profit careers.
  • BLUE is the colour of trust, security, and stability. Aside from black, blue is the most commonly used colour. It can also be associated with distance and sadness. Blue would be appropriate for finance, business, law, and education professionals.
  • PURPLE is associated with luxury, wealth, and creativity. Deep purple is especially effective for female executives. However, a significant concentration of purple text may distract readers, so use it carefully. Purple is useful for medical, higher education, and executive CVs.
  • PINK conveys feelings of hope, sensitivity, and romance. It is often associated with youthful femininity and playfulness, which can make it a good choice for the beauty industry and health fields.
  • BROWN reflects security, experience, protection, warmth, and comfort. Brown can be associated with dependability and reliability, or it can be considered dull. It should be used in conservative fields like law and finance.
  • BLACK is classic and sophisticated and seen as traditional and modern.

Subtle jewel tones (navy blue, burgundy, dark green, deep purple) — when used as an accent — are appropriate for conservative industries, including legal, finance, engineering, politics, and medicine. Muted, natural tones and pastels are also acceptable.

Colours are assigned “meaning”, but this can be affected by the age, culture, and gender of the reader. Different parts of the world view some colours differently.

For example, regarding gender preferences, research shows:

  • Both men and women like blue and green
  • Men dislike brown the most; women dislike orange
  • Men prefer achromatic colours like white, black, and grey

Colour can be used judiciously to highlight key information on the CV — such as headings — WORK EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, AFFILIATIONS, etc. Colour can help the reader find important information.

Colour Dos & Don’ts

DO consider your personal brand and personality when selecting colours for the CV. Consider matching the colour on the CV to the brand colours of the target company. Mirroring company colours shows you have done your homework, and changing colours is an easy adjustment to make in Microsoft Word.

For example:

  • RED – Coca-Cola
  • BLUE – JetBlue
  • ORANGE – Amazon

When using colour on a CV, DO maximise contrast by using “opposite colour” pairs — for example, blue/yellow, blue/orange, navy/gold, and purple/gold.

DO add colour to the design, not just the content. Include colour on design elements such as lines, boxes, and callouts.

DO make sure the colour works both on the screen and in print.

Don’t use too many colours. A maximum of three colours is recommended — one colour for the header and sections, a second colour for body text, and an accent colour to add emphasis (for example, bullets or subheadings). Black or dark grey is recommended for the main body text.

DON’T put a light colour on a light or white background. From a technical standpoint, colour on the CV has little bearing on documents filtered through applicant tracking system (ATS) software as long as there is sufficient contrast between the text and background. However, some colour choices can reduce the readability if not carefully considered.

Don’t be afraid to stand out. You can’t go wrong using black (and white and grey), but it may keep you from standing out in a crowded field of candidates.

Best Practices with Colour

In addition to the dos and don’ts listed above, also consider the following best practices:

  • Keep the design simple. Don’t overload it with graphics and design elements
  • Use 2.54 cm / 1-inch margins
  • Have well-defined sections with clear headers
  • Choose an easy-to-read font, especially for coloured body text and subheadings
  • Make sure the cover letter matches the colour used on the CV
  • Print the finished document in black and white to make sure it’s still readable

Like a spice, use colour to accentuate, not overpower. Too many colours, not enough contrast between colours, and using bright primary colours are some common mistakes made with colour on CVs.