The font on your resume might seem like a minor detail, but don’t overlook it. The right resume font can present you as a polished, professional candidate who’s worthy of a closer look. But what’s the best font for a resume?
We’ll show you the top options with tips for choosing the best font for your resume that makes you stand out for all the right reasons.
What’s the best font for a resume?
There’s no single best resume font, but here are some good options that are worth checking out:
- Arial
- Calibri
- Cambria
- Garamond
- Georgia
- Helvetica
- IBM Plex Sans
- Lato
- Open Sans
- Roboto
- Source Sans Pro
- Times New Roman
- Trebuchet MS
- Ubuntu
- Verdana
The best resume fonts are clean, easy to read, and professional. They keep a hiring manager’s focus on the content of your resume—not on an unusual or distracting font choice.
A good resume font should also be readable for applicant tracking system (ATS) software, which many employers use to scan and rank resumes. This will help ensure that your resume makes it past the software and into the hands of a real person.
Font choice is equally important for cover letters. If you’re also working on your cover letter, check out our article on the best cover letter fonts.
Should you use a serif or sans serif resume font?
A common question is whether to use a serif or sans serif font for a resume. Here’s a quick comparison of these two styles:
- Serif: These fonts have decorative strokes, known as serifs, added to their letters. Serif fonts, such as Times New Roman, usually have a classic, traditional feel.
- Sans serif: In comparison, these fonts have clean lines with no serifs or artistic flourishes. Some experts say sans serif fonts, like Arial, are more readable on computer screens.
While sans serif fonts may look slightly cleaner, you can use either type of font for your resume as long as it’s simple and easy to read. If you’re unsure, print out a copy of your resume to check the font readability.
Top 15 best fonts for a resume
Not sure which font you want to use for your resume? Here’s a comparison of the best fonts for resumes, including their pros and cons:
1. Arial
Arial is a modern sans serif font with clean lines and good legibility. It’s a safe choice if you want something straightforward and easy to scan. However, it is a fairly common font, so it may not help you stand out from the crowd.
2. Calibri
Long the default typeface for Microsoft Word, Calibri is a highly readable sans serif font with a modern, crisp look. Like Arial, though, it’s also a common font that may not give your resume a very distinctive look.
3. Cambria
Cambria is a serif font that balances traditional and modern. It also looks great in smaller sizes. It’s slightly more formal than some other fonts on this list, so it may look out of place on resumes for creative industries.
4. Garamond
This classic serif font has roots dating back hundreds of years. Garamond looks distinctive and interesting without being over the top, making it a popular font for print. However, it can be slightly harder to read on a screen.
5. Georgia
Known as an alternative to Times New Roman, Georgia is an attractive serif font. Like Cambria, it reads well in smaller sizes. That said, many people tend to use this font, so it may feel more generic than others.
6. Helvetica
Helvetica is a classic, widely used sans serif typeface. This font is so popular that it’s even the focus of a documentary with the same name. Then again, it may be too popular, especially if you’re looking to distinguish yourself.
7. IBM Plex Sans
This font has a sleek, professional feel. But even with its clean lines, it has enough personality to set your resume apart. It’s a newer font, so it may feel less established than other ones on this list.
Try out different font styles on resume.io
Our advanced Resume Builder comes preloaded with the best resume fonts. While each resume.io template has a default font, it’s easy to change this to the style you want, whether you’re going for clean and modern or traditional and formal.
8. Lato
Lato is a contemporary sans serif font with a warm, friendly feel. It’s less common than some longtime favorites, like Arial and Times New Roman, making it a more distinctive choice. However, it’s not a standard typeface across all software, so it may cause formatting issues.
9. Open Sans
The Open Sans font is clean, neutral, and modern. It’s also easy to read in all sizes. This sans serif font is perfect for tech and information technology (IT) fields, but may feel too modern for more traditional industries.
10. Roboto
Roboto is another common tech industry font that’s popular for digital applications. It’s readable and modern, and comes in both serif and sans serif versions. This font could be a good choice to help your resume stand out. But like other tech fonts, it may be too cutting-edge for conservative fields.
11. Source Sans Pro
Source Sans Pro is a clean, readable, and professional sans serif font. It’s a fresh typeface that can catch an employer’s eye among piles of resumes in Arial or Helvetica. But it may not align as well with the tone of traditional industries or employers.
12. Times New Roman
Before Calibri, Times New Roman was the default typeface for Microsoft Office. It’s a classic, old-school serif font that’s still appropriate for traditional employers. However, some may find this font to be less legible on digital screens, and perhaps a bit outdated, overused, or even boring.
13. Trebuchet MS
Trebuchet MS is an elegant sans serif font. It’s designed to look good and read well on computer screens, making it a good choice for resumes. Though some people may find its narrow letters harder to read.
14. Ubuntu
Modern yet professional, Ubuntu is a sans serif font with rounded edges that was designed for readability on digital screens of all sizes. It looks sharp without being overpowering. However, it may not be installed on all systems, which could cause compatibility issues.
15. Verdana
This popular sans serif font is easy to read, even in small font sizes, thanks to its open letterforms and wide spacing. But some say that it looks too similar to Arial or Helvetica to stand out.
Tips for choosing the best font for a resume
When in doubt about the best resume font to choose, ask yourself these questions:
- Is it clean and legible? The resume font you use should be easy on the eyes. If it looks crowded or cluttered, especially in bullet points, it may be too hard to read.
- Does it look good in print and on screens? It’s rare to apply with a paper version of your resume anymore, but you may want to bring copies to an interview or a networking event. Make sure your resume font looks as good on paper as it does on a screen.
- Is it appropriate for your industry and profession? Different fonts work best for different industries. Clean, contemporary fonts, like Roboto and Open Sans, work well for technology companies and startups. If you’re applying to more traditional businesses, consider using a conventional, widely accepted font, like Arial, Calibri, or Georgia.
What resume fonts to avoid
Not every font belongs on a resume. Unusual or overly decorative fonts can distract a hiring manager’s attention from the actual content on your resume. You should also avoid using cursive typefaces or fonts with all capital letters, since these are usually hard to read.
In general, skip these fonts when creating your resume:
- Bradley Hand
- Brush Script
- Century Gothic
- Comic Sans
- Courier
- Curlz MT
- Impact
- Mistral
- Papyrus
- Trajan
Get more tips in our article on what your resume should look like.
How to choose the best resume font size
Once you have a font style in mind, you also need to consider the size. In most cases, the best font size for a resume is between 10 and 12 points.
It might be tempting to choose a smaller size if you want to fit your resume onto one page. However, hiring managers only spend a few seconds when first reviewing a resume. If they have to squint or use glasses to decipher yours, they may just ignore it.
For section headings, you can use a slightly larger font size (between 14 and 16 points). This helps to guide the reader through different parts of your resume, especially if they’re scanning it quickly. At the top of your resume, your name should also be in a larger font size, so that recruiters immediately know who you are.
Why choosing the right resume font is important
It might seem silly to spend time picking the best font for your resume, but this small detail can have a big impact. Before a hiring manager reads a single word of your resume, they’ll begin to form an impression of you based on its format and design, including the font style and size.
A stylish, clean, and legible font instantly conveys professionalism. It shows a hiring manager that you care about the small details and take pride in delivering quality work. Additionally, the right font makes it easy for your resume to read, so the recruiter can focus on what matters most: your qualifications.
