Shades of Gray Around Color on a Resume
Kent R.
You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.
Let me get this out of the way right up front; I remain quite black and white (pun intended) when it comes to putting color on a resume. As I’ve shared before, including color on your resume is generally not a good idea.
However, there are some instances were adding color can be a smart strategic decision. For example, I recently worked with a fashion merchandising professional. We determined that adding some color (tastefully, of course) would not only be appropriate but could make him more of an attractive candidate. We selected two of Pantone’s fall colors to show that the candidate was aware of color trends without even having to say it.
Let me be clear, adding color to your resume is still rarely a smart decision. But the above point is a perfect example of a time when a little color makes good sense.