Top 22 Best Fonts For Your Resume [Examples]

The right font can make or break your resume and formatting can be confusing.This is why we’re here to help. Check out the top 22 best fonts for your resume.

Over the past decade, Times New Roman has reigned supreme. This is the go-to format for “proper” jobs such as law, corporate careers, and banking. If you’re going for a classic look, this is your best bet.

Another perk of Times New Roman is that it’s easily processed by the Applicant Tracking Systems, so your chances of having your resume read by the recruiter are very good.

Calibri is a stylish, yet simple solution for your resume font. It’s modern, looks sharp and has just the right amount of curve and creativity to it. This format will serve you well if you’re applying for a writer job, an office position (think HR, billing), and client relations.

Structured and clean, Cambria is a slight deviation from the traditional font which will present your resume as well put together and clear. The beauty of Cambria is that each letter is spaced out perfectly while remaining compact.

The recruiter won’t have to put on three pairs of glasses to read your experience section. If you’re going for a clear, yet space-effective resume, you can rely on Cambria.

Some say that Verdana is the new Times New Roman. Much like Cambria, it spaces its letters out very precisely. The clarity and slight curve of Verdana makes it easy and appealing to read.

Arial has become the default for those who value a classic look, yet want to appear a bit more casual. You'll see it as a default font in many awesome resume templates. This is definitely a safe alternative to your resume font. It also demonstrates to the recruiter that you’re up to date with the trends.

Georgia is sleek and friendly. Its curvy “o’s” and “e’s” are very inviting to the recruiter. The spacing between letters here isn’t too large; it’s just right to let the recruiter skim your resume while adding a fancy touch.

The original Helvetica font is often used in company logos. That's because it offers a modern and sleek design that consumers love. You can never go wrong with this style.

A slightly more evolved version from the original Helvetica font, Helvetica Neue is clear, wide and bold enough to grab the attention. This is a perfect choice for a resume that doesn’t fill the page completely, as it would occupy all the necessary areas and make your experience pop even if it isn’t too long.

This is a great choice for an internship resume.

Trebuchet MS is a headed towards the wild side. Sharp and tall letters such as the “M” beckon the attention. If your name contains many letters “M,” this is an excellent way to get yourself noticed.

Trebuchet MS will give you a vertical advantage. You will be able to fit in longer experience descriptions without making your resume cluttered.

Didot is stylish. If you’ve got a rich personality to showcase and are applying for a creative position (magazine editor, stylist, columnist at a trendy paper), this is the one for you.

The letters in Didot allow for plenty of white space with a bold design. This way the recruiter will pay close attention to what you have to say. With Didot less is more. You san use words sparingly, as everything you put down will call the attention.

Tahoma is simple and to the point. It has a familiar, comforting quality to its design. With its spacing, you can strike a great balance between clarity and space-effectiveness.

Garamond is on the fancy, bold side. Yet, it isn’t overwhelming. Stylish and classical, this font will give an elegant quality to your resume, while clearly showcasing information. The recruiter can put their glasses away. Garamond’s letters are big enough to process easily.

Hind bets on a more narrow letter design, where height dominates width. This is a compact and bold font. It’s perfect for resumes on the conservative side, like accounting, banking and other financial positions, as it shows good planning and clarity.

Book Antiqua is quirky and daring. Its letters are small and not as bold as Hind, for example. This font is for creative positions like book writers.

You should consider the size of your font. While you can get away with Hind at size 12, you’ll need to increase Book Antiqua’s letters in order to make them easy to read.

Following the example of traditional Arial, Arial Narrow is a great choice for a resume. This font will work best for those who have many years of experience and would like to fit in as much information as possible.

The letters are narrow as the name suggests, and aren’t very bold. If you choose this font, make sure to leave enough white space to avoid clumping words together.

Cabin will really put an emphasis on what you have to say. Its curvy, bold letters attract and keep the attention. Try this resume font for positions like a teacher, writer, and editor.

Lato is one of the friendliest fonts you can choose. Its classic build and elegant curves make it a great choice. Lato letters run on the smaller side, so you will be able to fit all of your information in.

If you want your headlines in particular to stand out, go for Source Sans Pro. Its spacing is generous, the letters clear and structured. It will make your 10 years of experience notable and attention-worthy.

Trade Gothic is a formidable and sharp font to go with. It will put an emphasis on your content in a compact way. This is a great font for a an experienced professional as opposed to an internship resume.

Arimo is clean and unpretentious. Its letters are compact and narrow, yet very clear to read. The wide “A” will make your name pop if it contains the letter. This is a great option for an administrative resume - a bookkeeper or a secretary, for example.

Avenir is laid-back, yet clear enough. The width of each letter makes sentences easy to read and process. The recruiter will appreciate you sparing their eyes.

If you want to keep it classic and elegant but don't want to go with the old Times New Roman, go for Caslon. It provides the same clarity in a sleeker, more modern packaging.

If you’re applying for a job as a designer in a studio, then the rules of the game are a bit different. Chances are, they might appreciate you more if you showcase your design skills with your resume.

Once you’ve got the font figured out, you’ll need to pick a size. As with font type, the idea here is for your resume to be readable. So, go for something between 10 and 12.

You want your accomplishments to stand out, not your resume font.

Wanting the recruiter to remember your killer resume is totally normal, but don’t go too crazy. While looks matter, the recruiter wants to see accomplishments and skills that stand out, not a quirky font, so forget about Comic Sans.

Need some ideas? Check out 50+ Skills to Put on a Resume [Key to Get a Job]

The font here only serves as a support for your achievements. So the one thing you have to do here is try not to be too original. Put away your space-themed, astronaut resume, and stick to something more traditional.

Style and Consistency

Whichever font you choose, remember to stay consistent. Once you pick a font & size, stick with it the whole way. Recruiters have to go through hundreds of resumes every day, so having your font jump from one to another, will be terribly frustrating.

You are, however, going to be including different sections in your resume - and those are meant to stand out from the body text.

While it is recommended for the font to be the same, you can increase the size to 14-16. You can use CAPITALIZED, bold, italic, and underlined words in order to emphasize information.

Keep in mind, though, that you have to use this technique strategically. So don’t do all four together.

Conclusion

Starting off your resume the right way is extremely important - and picking the right font & style is the first step.

Now that you’ve got that figured out, you might want to learn how to fill in the contents of your resume with How to Make a Resume [The Visual Guide].