The Best Fonts for Your Resume

Hiring managers often spend just a few seconds scanning resumes. A clean, professional font makes it easier for them to quickly find what matters — your skills, experience, and accomplishments. A poor font choice can make a strong resume look cluttered or outdated.

A resume font should be clear, legible, and professional in print and digital formats. The best fonts convey confidence and organization while ensuring your text remains easily read on different screens and devices.

1. Calibri

Calibri has been the default Microsoft Word font for years, and for good reason. It’s modern, easy to read, and is easily scanned by applicant tracking systems (ATS). Its rounded edges and consistent letter spacing make it ideal for resumes in business, administration, and customer service.

Example:

If your resume includes technical or data-heavy sections, Calibri’s clarity keeps details readable and well-structured.

2. Helvetica

A favorite among designers, Helvetica is a timeless sans-serif font that gives a sleek, professional look. It works especially well for creative fields or marketing roles where visual presentation matters.

Tip: Use Helvetica Neue for a more contemporary variation that looks sharp on screens.

3. Garamond

Garamond adds elegance without being overly formal if you prefer a classic look. It’s a serif font, which is ideal for industries like education, law, or academia, where tradition and professionalism matter. Garamond’s slightly narrower design enables more text on a single page.

4. Arial

Arial is a safe, widely accepted font. While sometimes seen as basic, it’s simple, reliable, and highly readable on digital devices. If you want a no-nonsense look that parses well in ATS systems, Arial is an excellent pick.

5. Georgia

Georgia combines professionalism with warmth. Its larger letters and balanced design make it highly legible, even in smaller sizes. It is particularly effective for online resumes viewed on mobile devices.

6. Cambria

Cambria was designed specifically for on-screen reading and works beautifully in digital formats. It’s part of Microsoft’s ClearType collection, making it a go-to for modern resumes that will be uploaded or emailed.

7. Lato

Lato offers a modern feel with subtle personality. It’s a versatile sans-serif font that looks equally good on creative resumes and corporate applications. Lato is an excellent option to blend professionalism with a hint of individuality.

8. Times New Roman

Though seen as traditional, Times New Roman remains a dependable font for conservative industries. This classic serif font still conveys authority and reliability if you’re applying to finance, law, or government roles. It is also quite popular with job seekers in the tech sector.

Use a readable size

Keep your main text between 10 and 11 points. To draw attention, your name and section headers can be slightly larger (14 to 16 points), but avoid making them too bold or oversized. Anything smaller than 10 points is unreadable, and anything larger than 11 points comes across as trying to fill the page.

Maintain consistent spacing

Use 1.0 to 1.15 line spacing for readability. Avoid cramming too much information on one page; white space improves readability and visual balance.

Keep styles simple

Use bold or italics to emphasize impact only. Never use underlining or colored text. Overstyling can make a resume look messy or distract from key information.

Not all fonts are resume-friendly. Some may look unprofessional or cause issues with ATS systems.

• Comic Sans: Too casual for professional documents.
• Papyrus: Distracting and dated.
• Courier New: Resembles a typewriter font and feels old-fashioned.
• Brush Script or handwriting fonts: Hard to read and inconsistent in size.

Avoid fonts that look decorative or overly stylized. While you might think the different style will make you stand out, it might look messy to the resume reader. Stick to clean, professional typefaces that reflect clarity and attention to detail.

Why this font works: Calibri’s spacing and legibility make the text easy to scan, enabling hiring managers to find skills, achievements, and timelines quickly.

Print it out

A resume that looks good on-screen can appear cramped on paper. Print a copy to ensure everything remains readable and visually balanced.

Check on multiple devices

View your resume on both desktop and mobile to confirm that your chosen font renders correctly and text doesn’t shift between formats.

Have someone else view it

If that person makes any comments about the initial visual, you can take that into account.

While fonts can add character, the goal is always readability. Recruiters appreciate a clean, consistent look more than flashy designs. If you want to highlight creativity, use a portfolio link at the top of the resume and show as much impact as possible from your work.

Avoid mixing too many styles. If you’re pairing fonts, limit yourself to two: one for headings (like Helvetica or Lato) and another for body text (like Calibri or Georgia). This creates a polished and cohesive design.