When you’re building your resume, the font might seem like a small detail, but it’s actually a big deal. Your choice of fonts for resume affects how recruiters perceive your professionalism.
It even affects whether your resume passes through digital screening systems like ATS (Applicant Tracking System). In short, fonts speak before your words do. Using the right typography for resume can help you stand out in the right way.
Meanwhile, the wrong ones might make your document look cluttered, childish, or unreadable. So, let’s talk about how to choose the best fonts for your resume!
At least, there are two reasons why you need to choose suitable fonts for resume, including:
Recruiters spend only a few seconds glancing at your resume before deciding whether to read further.
In this case, the right fonts subtly communicate traits like confidence, attention to detail, and professionalism. Even before someone reads your experience, your font choice can give impressions.
On top of the visual design, your resume should be easy to read not only by humans but also by software. Many companies use ATS to scan resumes for keywords, job titles, and skills.
However, fancy or uncommon fonts can confuse these systems, causing your resume to be rejected automatically. That’s why clarity and simplicity are key.
Now, let’s check out our best tips to ensure your resume stands out the most:
It’s tempting to pick something creative, but resumes aren’t art projects. Fonts like Comic Sans or Brush Script are better suited for birthday cards, not career documents. Instead, focus on fonts that look clean and professional.
We recommend fonts that are simple, balanced, and easy to scan, for instance, Calibri, Helvetica, or Georgia. These maintain a sleek appearance while staying highly legible.
But if you want to stand out slightly, try bold or semi-bold versions for headers instead of switching to a completely different typeface. Consistency is what makes your resume look polished.
Not every computer or operating system has the same fonts installed. To avoid formatting issues, stick to safe common fonts that look good everywhere.
Some examples of the best standard fonts for resume include Calibri, Cambria, Georgia, Helvetica, Arial, Garamond, Palatino, Tahoma, Verdana, and Times New Roman.
These fonts are compatible across platforms, recognized by ATS, and professional-looking on both screen and print.
Different fields have different visual expectations. Choosing the right fonts for your resume also means aligning with the tone of your target industry.
But when in doubt, better look at the company’s branding. If their website uses a modern font, you can mirror that aesthetic. Visual alignment with the employer’s identity can subtly reinforce cultural fit.
Remember, typography isn’t just about the font family. More than that, it’s also about how you use it. A great font can still look messy with bad spacing or sizing. So, here are some quick guidelines you can use for your resume:
Always check your resume in the print view. What looks sharp on screen may appear cramped or faded on paper.
This is one of the most overlooked steps. Before you send the file, test your resume on different devices (Windows, Mac, tablet).
You better export it as a PDF with fonts embedded, as this ensures your fonts for resume appear correctly even if the recruiter uses a different system.
To check if it’s ATS-friendly or not, you can copy your resume text into Notepad to check if it reads properly in plain text. If it turns into random characters, that’s a sign your ATS readability may fail.
To make sure your resume looks professional and not ‘too much’, you should avoid these things:
Script or handwritten fonts might look pretty, but they’re not practical, as they’re hard to read, unprofessional, and outdated. Save cursive and decorative fonts for invitations or creative projects, not for a resume meant to land a job interview.
Ultra-light fonts may look elegant on screen but often lose visibility when printed. Likewise, condensed fonts can make your document feel crowded. Recruiters shouldn’t have to squint to read your achievements.
A resume should look unified, not chaotic. Using three or more fonts breaks visual consistency and distracts from your content. Just choose one main font family and maybe one secondary for contrast. That’s it.
Even if you’ve found a free cool-looking font online, there’s a big chance your recruiter doesn’t have it installed. Unless you export as a PDF (with embedded fonts), it’s safer to stay within standard options.
The main takeaway is, choosing the right fonts for resume isn’t about impressing recruiters with design. You should make your resume effortless to read, look consistent across systems, and feel appropriate for your field.
But if you need stylish yet professional typefaces that are perfect for personal branding, check out our collections at HansCo Studio!
