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Top Ten Best Fonts to use on your Resume

Choosing a professional, readable font helps your resume look polished and parse well in ATS. Here are 10 solid choices.

Serif Fonts

  • Georgia: Readable and professional. Works well on screen and in print.
  • Times New Roman: Classic and widely accepted. Can look dated; use 11–12 pt.
  • Garamond: Elegant and readable. Slightly smaller at same pt size; use 11–12 pt.

Sans-Serif Fonts

  • Calibri: Default in Word; clean and readable. Safe choice.
  • Arial: Neutral and widely supported. Works in ATS.
  • Helvetica: Clean and professional. Popular for resumes.
  • Cambria: Default for Word body text; readable and professional.
  • Verdana: Clear on screen. Good for readability.
  • Trebuchet MS: Modern and readable. Works well for headings.
  • Lato: Modern sans-serif; professional and clean. Use if available.

Tips

Use one font for the whole resume (or one for headings and one for body). Size: 10–12 pt for body, 14–18 pt for name. Avoid script, novelty, or decorative fonts. Ensure the font is available on most systems or embed it in PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the best font for a resume?
    Professional, readable fonts like Calibri, Arial, Georgia, or Helvetica. Use 10–12 pt for body text.
  • What font size should my resume be?
    10–12 pt for body text. Name can be 14–18 pt. Do not go below 10 pt.
  • Are serif or sans-serif fonts better for resumes?
    Both work. Sans-serif (Calibri, Arial) is common and reads well on screen. Serif (Georgia) is classic. Choose one and stay consistent.
  • Can ATS read any font?
    Most standard fonts work. Avoid decorative or script fonts. Use clear, standard fonts for best ATS parsing.