Moreover your content material, utilizing probably the greatest fonts in your resume might assist you to get a recruiter’s consideration. Research have proven recruiters sometimes scan a resume for six to thirty seconds earlier than deciding if an applicant is match for a job.
With only some seconds to show your {qualifications} for a place, each element counts – together with the font you employ. The query is, what are the very best resume fonts to move the six to thirty-seconds scan?
We requested HubSpot recruiters to disclose the seven greatest fonts on your resume and what they think about when it comes to design so your resume can stand out in a pile.
Skilled Recommendation on Selecting the Proper Font
Does Utilizing The Finest Resume Fonts Even Matter?
Ideally suited Resume Font Sizes
Featured Useful resource: 12 Free Resume Templates
Skilled Recommendation on Selecting the Proper Font
To evoke a way of favor, professionalism, and uniqueness, you could put effort and consideration into your font alternative. When talking with recruiters, it rapidly grew to become obvious that basic fonts are nonetheless the very best choices.
“I’m a giant fan of the ‘classics’ for resumes – Occasions New Roman, Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, and Cambria. I’m just a little old skool, however I feel they’re the cleanest and exude professionalism,” stated Johanna Fleming, a former senior recruiter at HubSpot.
Riley Kundtz, the previous senior MBA campus recruiter at HubSpot, agreed.
“I discover the basic formatting and Occasions font useful when studying a dense resume from an skilled MBA candidate.”
Occasions New Roman has turn out to be a bit controversial recently. It was the go-to font for a few years as a result of it’s conventional and recognizable, however recently, some are opting in opposition to it.
“For me, it’s all about legibility and cleanliness – I want sans-serif fonts like Helvetica, which is trendy and chic, over serif fonts like Occasions New Roman,” says Glory Montes, a technical recruiter at HubSpot.
“Total, I might simply steer clear of a font like Occasions New Roman; it’s overused and jogs my memory of lengthy nights writing course papers in school,” provides Glory.
Georgia is one font The New York Occasions makes use of and is just like Occasions New Roman. It’s a bit wider, making it simpler to learn.
Paulina Valdez Franco, govt recruiter at HubSpot, agrees with this take.
“My two favourite fonts are Helvetica for those who’re searching for a clear and basic look, and Georgia, if you need a extra trendy and enjoyable look,” she stated. “The latter can be designed to learn properly on screens.”
Helvetica is broadly utilized in promoting and works equally properly for text-heavy pages and paperwork.
A lesser-known font that’s an ideal choice on your resume is Garamond, advisable by our present staff lead of engineering recruiting at HubSpot, Wealthy Lapham.
“Recruiters have an thought of the abilities they’re searching for on a resume, so for those who strive a brand new type or format, it may be more durable for recruiters to seek out the knowledge they’re searching for,” he stated. “Hold it clear and easy.”
Franco added that Arial and Calibri are nice decisions to play it secure.
Bridget LeMon, HubSpot’s international rising expertise and college recruiting supervisor, echoes this.
“It’s very acceptable – and turning into extra widespread – for candidates to stray away from the resume norms of Occasions New Roman and Calibri,” she stated. “Avenir Subsequent and Muna are two glorious font choices in case you are trying to break the established order.”
In the end, you‘ll wish to think about the place you’re making use of for when selecting a font. To Glory Montes’ level, sure extra artistic roles would possibly profit from a novel font than Occasions New Roman.
1. Occasions New Roman
Occasions New Roman font has been widespread for resumes for many years. This serif choice is easy-to-read and communicates formality. On-line, the font is uniform and accessible throughout numerous platforms and working programs.
Benefits
Occasions New Roman has a basic {and professional} look, making it a wonderful alternative for candidates focusing on company positions. Moreover, it’s a commonplace font utilized in most phrase processors, making it an accessible choice for any machine.
Furthermore, Occasions New Roman is well readable in print and on-screen.
Finest for: Phrase paperwork. PDFs can host distinctive fonts. Nonetheless, a regular font shall be useful in case your resume is uploaded as a Phrase doc.
Disadvantages
The font’s outdated look might not enchantment to all industries, and a few might think about it bland or generic. Moreover, this font might make your resume mix in with the remainder as a consequence of its ubiquity.
Occasions New Roman can be a heavy serif font, taking on more room than different choices.
2. Arial
Arial is a sans-serif font that has turn out to be widespread for its clear and trendy look. Arial’s simple and minimalist design has made it a well-liked alternative for candidates focusing on artistic positions.
Benefits
Arial gives simplicity, which permits your content material to face out. Arial’s legibility in small font sizes, even in print, makes it preferrred for candidates making an attempt to suit all the mandatory info of their resume on a single web page.
Finest for: Resumes submitted on-line, the place readability is crucial for Applicant Monitoring Programs (ATS) utilized in recruitment.
Disadvantages
The font’s overuse in branding and design has led to its affiliation with a non-innovative type. This will likely make your resume much less enticing to recruiters searching for distinctive personalities who can carry new concepts to their staff.
Arial’s uniformity might not swimsuit industries equivalent to graphic design or artistic writing in search of to showcase creativity and aptitude.
Conversely, Arial might make the textual content seem much less formal and inappropriate for particular job purposes.
3. Avenir Subsequent
Avenir Subsequent is a contemporary typeface gaining reputation amongst designers and recruiters. Avenir Subsequent’s look is characterised by its geometric shapes, open contours, and powerful strains.
Its clear, up to date look has turn out to be a well-liked font alternative for resumes.
Benefits
Avenir Subsequent’s glossy and trendy design makes it a wonderful alternative for candidates focusing on artistic industries. Its clear, easy strains supply a way of class, whereas its legibility provides recruiters a way of professionalism.
What we love: Avenir Subsequent is a scalable font. It maintains its readability even at small sizes, and its geometric shapes make it an ideal alternative for digital resumes.
Disadvantages
Avenir Subsequent will not be as well known, which may make it troublesome to learn on some pc programs with out the font put in. Additional, Avenir Subsequent is a premium font with a better price ticket.
This won’t be inexpensive for some candidates.
4. Helvetica
Helvetica is a well known and widespread font used on resumes, notably within the design trade. It’s clear, basic, and timeless. This font is widespread with professionals, design fanatics, typographers, and Wes Anderson.
Benefits
Helvetica is straightforward to learn and has an expert, simple look. The font‘s reputation implies that job recruiters and hiring managers are aware of it.
Helvetica’s clear strains give the resume a structured and well-organized look, making it preferrred for these in finance, legislation, and enterprise administration.
What we love: The font is offered in a number of weights, making it simpler to distinguish headings and sections within the resume.
Disadvantages
The font’s ubiquity in resumes might make it really feel overdone and uninspired. With so many candidates utilizing the font, your resume might battle to face out.
Helvetica‘s minimalist design can even work in opposition to you in case your resume has restricted content material. This may make the resume look empty and as if it lacks substance.
5. Calibri
Calibri is a up to date design, making it a well-liked alternative for making a visually interesting and easy-to-read resume.
Benefits
The font has been designed with legibility in thoughts, making it a wonderful choice for resumes.
Moreover, Calibri’s trendy look creates a glossy {and professional} look, making it preferrred for job seekers trying to spotlight their up to date expertise and {qualifications}.
Calibri can be lighter than different font choices, making it an excellent alternative for job seekers making an attempt to suit their resumes onto a single web page.
What we like: Calibri gives a way of uniformity throughout completely different platforms, making it an accessible and dependable choice for candidates.
Disadvantages
Calibri is among the default fonts obtainable in most word-processing packages. Your resume won’t seem as distinctive and tailor-made to your private branding as it might with a extra distinct font.
The font could be perceived as casual, making it lower than preferrred for formal industries, like legislation or finance, the place a extra conventional look can be most popular.
6. Cambria
Cambria’s basic design options elegant serifs, making it an ideal alternative for job seekers. You may simply create a standard, professional-looking resume that stands out.
Benefits
Cambria has a basic but trendy look. The font‘s serifs give it a timeless look that’s good for job seekers in additional conventional industries equivalent to finance or legislation.
Moreover, the font is very readable, even in smaller font sizes, which makes it a wonderful alternative for job seekers trying to match extra info on their resumes.
What we like: Cambria’s beneficiant spacing between characters and contours makes the resume a lot simpler to learn and stands out from different fonts.
Disadvantages
Some recruiters and hiring managers would possibly view the font as old school or generic. Additional, Cambria’s heavy serifs could also be problematic for these making an attempt to maintain their resume to a single web page as it could possibly take up more room than different fonts.
7. Georgia
Georgia is a standard serif font that has been a well-liked alternative for resumes as a consequence of its elegant and basic look. Georgia’s distinctive design options distinguishable serifs that give it an expert look.
Benefits
Georgia’s design is straightforward to learn even in smaller font sizes, making it an ideal alternative for job seekers making an attempt to spotlight their accomplishments in a restricted house.
Moreover, Georgia could be custom-made, which makes it a wonderful choice for candidates wanting so as to add their private contact.
What we like: The font’s design combines conventional and trendy aesthetics, making it a flexible choice for job seekers making use of for a variety of positions.
Disadvantages
The font’s conventional look will not be appropriate for candidates focusing on artistic or non-traditional fields, the place a extra up to date font could also be most popular.
Additionally, Georgia is a serif, making it troublesome to learn in small sizes on a digital display screen. This won’t be the most suitable choice for these primarily making use of on-line.
Does Utilizing The Finest Resume Fonts Even Matter?
Most recruiters I spoke with have been hesitant to supply a font. As a substitute, they give attention to the content material.
“I not often pay an excessive amount of consideration to fonts,” stated Heta Patel, a former HubSpot recruiter. “I am extra involved to see a resume that’s formatted neatly – submitting a PDF is useful with this, so your formatting does not shift.”
Gross sales Recruiting Supervisor Kelsey Freedman agreed.
“Truthfully, I care little in regards to the font of a resume, so long as it is clear and in PDF format,” Freedman stated. “I sometimes evaluation a resume for 20 to 30 seconds, so a standard font is nice.”
Freedman continued, “I might advise avoiding script font or bubble font, or comparable fonts which are distracting.”
In the end, and as anticipated, your content material nonetheless issues most. Nonetheless, a transparent font will assist keep away from any irritability you would possibly trigger a recruiter with a distracting, messy design.
“What I get most enthusiastic about is the content material. Relying on the function, I look to see that candidates are sharing direct and compelling snapshots of their work,” stated Ashley Hodder, a world recruiting supervisor at HubSpot.
“I search for indicators that present information orientation, autonomy, and thoughtfulness about enterprise affect,” she stated.
Worst Resume Fonts
Whereas some recruiters might not have recommendations for the very best fonts, many can agree on a few of the worst ones.
“Something that’s cursive or too bubbly is just too arduous to learn. For example, I might keep away from Comedian Sans,” says Holly Peterson, staff lead for UX recruiting HubSpot.
One other resume font kind to keep away from is Script.
With text-heavy paperwork, Scripts, and any of their derivatives make textual content arduous to learn as a result of they seem like they’re written by hand.
They’re typically utilized in hand lettering and calligraphy for inventive initiatives and shouldn’t be current wherever close to your resume.
Ideally suited Resume Font Measurement
When requested which font measurement is greatest, Fleming stated 12 is good. Most recruiters would agree.
Your textual content ought to be giant sufficient to learn comfortably with out straining however sufficiently small that there’s house to incorporate all key components, equivalent to your goal, contact info, expertise, and expertise.
You need to use bigger font sizes for headings containing your title and part titles.
In case your font is intensive, you may scale to 10.5 – however by no means go beneath it.
The essential takeaway is to make your resume clear and straightforward to learn, which implies retaining the font measurement round 12, sticking to basic fonts with trendy twists, and forsaking your favourite script font.
Now that you understand the very best fonts on your resume, use these tricks to write your resume and ignite your artistic spark with this final assortment of resume templates.
Editor’s notice: This submit was initially printed in November 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
