Yes. A minimalist CV works in any industry because it puts the content first and does not impose a visual opinion on the reader. In creative industries, a more visually expressive CV can be appropriate; but even there, a minimalist approach is rarely wrong and is often stronger than a poorly executed visual design. In conservative industries such as law, finance, and medicine, minimalism signals professional confidence. In technology and consulting, it signals clarity of thought. The only scenario where minimalism might feel out of place is a highly visual role where the CV itself is expected to function as a portfolio piece.
Through the quality of the content, not through design additions. A minimal CV stands out when every sentence is specific and well-written, every achievement has a number attached, and the structure is so clean that a hiring manager can find any piece of information instantly. The goal is to make it quick to read. If you feel the CV is not standing out, the answer is almost never to add visual elements. The answer is to revise the content until each bullet point tells a small, precise story about what you contributed and what resulted from it.
System fonts are the safest and most reliable choice. On macOS and iOS, San Francisco renders beautifully at all sizes. On Windows, Segoe UI is clean and highly readable. Each comes installed on its own platform, so the reader does not need to download a font. Avoid downloading fonts from external sources for a CV, as this adds a dependency and can cause inconsistent rendering. The default system sans-serif stack used in this template covers both platforms cleanly.
Enough that a reader can clearly see where one section ends and the next begins, and enough that the text does not feel compressed. On A4, margins of 22 to 28mm on each side and approximately 20 to 24px of space between sections is a good starting point. If your CV fits on one page with those settings and looks comfortable, you have the right amount of space. If fitting onto one page requires compressing margins or reducing line height to the point where the text feels dense, it is better to cut content than to reduce space. Dense text is harder to read and signals poor editing judgment.
Most minimal CVs work best with a near-black and white palette, using only gray for secondary text. A single subtle accent color used only for section labels can work well, but it must be genuinely subtle (a muted slate blue or dark green rather than a bright or saturated color). The test is: if you remove the accent color, does the CV still communicate the same hierarchy clearly? If yes, the accent is optional and the CV works without it. If no, the accent is doing structural work, which means you probably need to adjust the typography rather than rely on color.