Best Colour for CVs: A Complete Guide with Tips

Colour psychology and its impact on hiring decisions

The field of colour psychology is concerned with studying the impact colours make on our moods, feelings and decisions. While there are differing findings and opinions about the impact of colour on our psychological state, there is plenty of evidence that colour can have an impact on things like our purchase decisions (1).

Some studies have claimed that colours can influence our mood, with the classic examples being red, evoking danger, passion and power, while green is associated with nature, balance and calmness. However, in reality, the way certain colours make us feel is likely influenced by various personal factors, including our past experiences and associations.

There is, however, evidence to suggest that colours can impact people’s perceptions about a brand’s personality. This, in turn, can affect purchase decisions. When applied to recruitment and hiring decisions, this logic suggests that employers’ opinions on a candidate’s personality and likely fit for an organisation, may be partly formed based on the colours of their CV. You may also consider adding colour to your cover letter, to create a consistent, recognisable design language throughout your application.

Best Colours for CVs

While there are no hard and fast rules on CV colours, it’s typically accepted that a simple colour palette is best. This means sticking to one or two complimentary colours, and not overloading your CV with various colours, or so much colour that it detracts from the written content.

Below are some of the best colours to consider adding to your CV:

Black

A simple monochromatic CV layout creates a classic, professional look and feel that could apply to any industry sector or level of seniority. Adding black colour blocks, section dividers and other colour accents can offer contrast to the white background and catch the attention of the reader more effectively than a simple design consisting of black text on a white background.

Navy blue

Adding navy blue colour accents to your CV can help you appear trustworthy and dependable. Navy blue design flourishes offer a similar classic, professional look and feel to a black and white CV, while appearing slightly softer, less harsh and more personable.

Grey

A greyscale colour palette adds a modern, sophisticated tone to your CV. Grey allows for varying shades and tones to be applied, all within the same overall colour palette. This can be useful for creating a design hierarchy or separating different parts of your CV. Just be aware of colour contrast considerations, particularly if using grey backgrounds with dark, or black, text.

White

White is heavily associated with clean, simple design. If you want to create a sense of space on your CV, use as much white space as possible. This should make your CV easier to read, and such a simple, pared back colour palette can convey a sense of self-confidence and assuredness to the reader.

Dark green

Similar to navy blue, dark green is also a highly professional choice, but the colour itself can evoke slightly different emotions. While a navy blue colour palette helps to create a sense of tradition, the less commonly used dark green stands more for innovation and creativity.

Create a bespoke CV with a wide range of colours, using Jobseeker's CV maker.

CV Colour Contrast Considerations

Whichever colour palette you choose for your CV template, it’s critical to think about colour contrast. The contrast between the main colours of your CV, and particularly between backgrounds and text, plays a major role in the readability of the document. If your CV lacks sufficient colour contrast between backgrounds and text, readers with a visual impairment may be unable to read your CV and properly assess your credentials. As such, when thinking about which colours to add to your CV, and the overall design and layout of the document, always think about colour contrast.

The simplest way to achieve a suitable colour contrast for your CV is to stick with very light or very dark colours for your backgrounds. Typically, a light coloured background (white, very light grey or pastel shades), requires very dark text (preferably black). However, if you want to add dark colour sections and blocks to your CV, you’ll need to switch your text colour to white.

Colours that are neither light nor dark become harder to use while still retaining sufficient colour contrast. These include bold primary colours and other colours towards the middle of the light and dark scale.

If you’re in doubt about the colour contrast of your CV, you could always use a colour contrast checker. Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 between text and backgrounds, to ensure your CV remains as readable as possible.

Colours to Avoid on Your CV

Your ideal CV colour is purely down to your personal preference and the type of job you’re applying for. However, it’s advisable to think carefully before choosing these colours, and colour groups, for your CV:

Bright red

Red can be associated with danger and aggression, so adding this to your CV could be a little overwhelming to the reader. While it would help your CV to stand out, the connotations created by this colour are likely to put the reader on edge.

Neon colours

Use of neon colours tend to create a sense of youth, vibrancy and energy. However, they’re not commonly associated with the professional world. Unless you’re going for a role that specifically demands a young, modern, energetic approach, it’s best to steer clear of neon colours.

Pastels

Using pastels as the main colours in your CV can make your document more difficult to read. If you’re using pastel colours, be mindful of colour contrasts and use them sparingly throughout your CV.

"Your CV colours say a lot about your personality, but you’ll also want them to reflect the type of industry you’re applying to work in."

Tailoring CV Colours to Industry

Your CV colours say a lot about your personality, but you’ll also want them to reflect the type of industry you’re applying to work in. Different industries evoke different feelings and emotions in people, so matching your CV colour to your industry can play a key role in how well suited you appear to be for the role.

Here are some examples of different industries, and the colours that might be more suitable for your job applications:

• Business and finance: This is a traditional profession with a serious tone. As such, conservative CV colours like navy, grey or black are ideal for conveying the appropriate level of professionalism.
• Law: Law is one of the oldest and most traditional sectors, and you’ll want your job applications to create a sense of respect for the traditions of the industry. As such, minimal use of colour is encouraged, and when you do use it, consider sticking to black and dark grey.
• Creative industries: You have a little more scope for introducing colour to a creative CV. However, it’s still best to stick to darker and more muted tones for colour contrast and professionalism.
• Healthcare: You’ll want to create a sense of life, nature and health with your applications. As such, green and blue tones can work best, while reds are probably less suitable. This industry may be more suitable for pastels and lighter shades, subject to colour contrast considerations.
• Tech industries: A modern industry demands a modern approach to CV colours. Use of greyscale colours and shades can give your CV a sleek, contemporary feel.

Tips for Implementing Colours in Your CV

Follow these simple, practical tips to ensure the colours on your CV make the best possible impact:

• Use colour accents subtly, for headings, borders, underlining and shaded sections.
• Use the most readable font on your CV and consider its colour, with black being the easiest to read (or white, if using a dark background.
• Use a colour contrast checker to ensure your CV colours don’t make the written content difficult to read.
• Use a complimentary colour palette for your cover letter and CV, by choosing a cover letter template that matches that of your CV.
• Creative CVs, including PowerPoint CVs, give a little more scope for ambitious use of colour, but remember to use a complimentary colour palette throughout.
• Study CV examples, like those provided by Jobseeker, to decide on the best colour palette for your CV.

Key Takeaways for Adding Colours to Your CV

The colours on your CV are just one of the design features that can affect the way employers respond to your application. Consider adding subtle, understated colours to your CV that create a professional feel and help your application stand out from the crowd. Using a CV maker like Jobseeker is one of the easiest ways to introduce colour and design elements to your CV. Sign up today and access a wealth of tools and resources, including CV and cover letter articles, to help you create a winning job application.

Sources:

(1) Psychology Today, Color Psychology: How Colors Influence the Mind