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Make your resume stand out to recruiters by choosing a font for your resume that grabs and holds their attention.
“Want a stronger resume? Try our resume templates. Simply edit and download. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click using our Resume Builder.”
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Best Fonts for Resume
Fonts play a crucial role in a resume. The best resume fonts are easy to skim and put the spotlight directly on your career achievements and skills.
The right font is also key to getting your resume past the applicant tracking system (ATS), software recruiters use to scan resumes. Choose a font that is clean and minimalistic. Or just use our ATS approved resume templates.
These are the best fonts for a resume:
- Arial
- Georgia
- Verdana
- Trebuchet MS
- Times New Roman
Best font size for resume
Font size should range from 10-12 for the body text. Keep your subheadings slightly larger (14 is a good estimate). Your name in the header can be larger to gain attention. Take a look at our how to write a resume guide for more in-depth information.
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Resume Fonts in Detail
Here are the most preferred fonts by recruiters and also ATS friendly:
Arial
This sans-serif font is contemporary and clean, great for social media experts.
Pros: Arial’s design is clean and modern, making the text very easy to read, even with a smaller font size.
Cons: As a frequently used default font, you risk submitting a resume that won’t stand out.
Georgia
Georgia is easy to read because it resembles the Times New Roman font, but is wider, and suitable across all industries.
Pros: Georgia was designed for the computer screen, allowing for better readability.
Cons: This font style may appear bland and less elegant.
Verdana
This font style reads amazing despite its small print. Use this font to avoid a crowded look.
Pros: Verdana looks amazing in an 11-size font and maximizes spacing.
Cons: This font style does not look visually appealing if bigger than a 12 size.
Trebuchet MS
This hipster font has a modern and cool design, great for fresh grads and creative candidates.
Pros: Released by Microsoft and found in Google Docs, it is ideal for spreadsheets and user interface.
Cons: It remains Microsoft’s property and when used in other programs, certain functions will be affected such as text figures.
Times New Roman
This is one of the most commonly used fonts. It’s classy and ideal for executive professionals.
Pros: Ensures optimal readability with practical point sizes. Usually used for newspapers because it has a condensed appearance.
Cons: Times New Roman is used a lot to the point where critics say that it is saturated.
Font Styling: Italics and Bold
Use bold text to draw attention to specific areas of your resume. For instance, bolding section headers draws attention without having to enlarge the font.
Naturally, our eyes are drawn to bolded text. Only bold the information you want the employer to notice such as job titles.
Use italics only as supporting text, like the city and state related to your college or degree listing. Avoid underlining words because it makes your resume look messy and crowded.
Here is a resume work history example:
Film Electrician 2023-Present
Company City, State
For more specific resume section examples visit our how to write a resume objective and how to write resume skills guides.
Resume with italics and bold text
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Key Takeaways
Choose an easy-to-read, professional font that makes the most of the limited time a recuiter might spare for your resume.
- Some of the best fonts for resumes include Arial, Georgia, Verdana, Trebuchet MS and Times New Roman.
- Your contact information should be the largest font size at 20, body text should be between sizes 10-12 and subheadings around size 14.
- Use special font treatments like bold and italics to emphasize key sections like job titles and headers.
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Last edited by: Ami Icanberry, CPRW, Manager, Content Editing, -
Gabriela Barcenas
CPRW, Content Writer IIGabriela is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and career adviser. With 10 years of digital media experience and five years of resume writing expertise, her publication history includes fashion, education, travel, social justice, equitable design and career advice.
