The format of your resume is almost as important as the content within it. A poor resume format can cause hiring managers to overlook important pieces of your work experience.
The type and size of the font we use in resume writing is important. Some fonts can be very difficult to read, either because they are too fancy or too small.
Hiring managers do not particularly care what font you use, but they do care that your resume is easy to read and understand. There are certain fonts that work better for resumes than others.
What makes a good font?
A good font is one that is easy to read at a comfortable distance. A manager doesn’t want to have to place your resume right up on their face in order to read it.
You may be programed to believe that Times New Roman size 12 font is the best font for any writing. However, I suggest avoiding Times New Roman in resume writing because it can be very small and difficult to read.
Here are some other font types to avoid when writing a resume:
- Bold Type fonts. You should avoid any font that is bold by default. Some examples are Berlin Sans FB or ELEPHANT fonts. Avoid any font that has BLACK, BOLD, SEMIBOLD, or HEAVY in the name.
- Script Type fonts. Avoid fonts that mimic cursive writing. They can be difficult to read and distracting to the hiring manager.
- Fancy fonts. There are many creative fonts out there. Avoid these unless you work in a creative field and think that it would be beneficial to display this quality in your resume.
Below are my choices for some of the best resume fonts.
- Calibri Light is one of the default Word that looks best at size 12.
- Century Gothic is another clean and easy to read font. It looks best at size 10.
- Acumin Pro Light is one of my favorite fonts. It is very easy to read and looks really well in size 10 or 12.
- Verdana is a good font, but it is a bit on the larger side. Use this font if you have a short job history, because it will help fill up the page. This font works well in size 10.
Testing your font
Once you have formatted your resume, test different fonts to find one that works best for the structure of your document.
Before you commit to a font, print off your resume so that you can see what it will look like to employers.
When uploading your resume, use PDF form when possible. This is the best way to maintain its structure if it is being uploaded to a website.
Should you pay for resume writing services?
