The Best Font for Your Resume in 2024

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Table of contents

The 10 Best Resume Fonts for 2024
What is the Best Font Size for Your Resume?
How to Format Your Resume Font
Serif vs Sans Serif: Understanding the Difference
Matching Fonts to Your Cover Letter
Which Resume Fonts Should You Avoid?
What Fonts Work Best for an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?
Resume Fonts FAQ

Your resume is your first chance to make a good impression — and your font choice is like a handshake in the job interview.

Choosing the right font sets the tone and subconsciously demonstrates your professionalism. If you pick the wrong font, you might lose the interest of the hiring manager before they even begin to read!

So, what’s the best font size, and how do you sort through the options to find a font that’s right for you?

Our comprehensive guide will show you:

The top 10 resume fonts for 2024.
How to choose the right font size.
Formatting tips, including color and styling.
The difference between serif vs sans-serif.
Four fonts to avoid.

Want to Try Different Fonts on Your Resume? With our AI Resume Builder, you can quickly and easily change your fonts around until you find one that suits you best.

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The 10 Best Resume Fonts for 2024

When picking a resume font, you should focus on four key aspects: style, spacing, professionalism and legibility.

Our top font picks for 2024 excel in all of these areas, offering a diverse array of choices that cater to various tastes — from clean and traditional to bold and creative.

Font 1

Calibri

Calibri is a favorite in the corporate world, making it an excellent choice for resumes. Lucas de Groot designed this sans-serif font, which debuted in the 2007 Microsoft Office Suite.

Its rounded edges lend a touch of elegance, setting it apart from straightforward fonts like Helvetica and Arial. In the same year, Calibri replaced Times New Roman as Microsoft’s default font, marking its professional significance.

Choose Calibri for a reliable, business-standard font.

Font 2

Arial

Created in 1982 by Robin Nicholas and Patricia Saunders for Monotype, Arial is a digital homage to the renowned Helvetica.

This sans-serif font is celebrated for its clean geometry. It has become a staple for all sorts of professional documents, including resumes, and is now the default on Google Docs.

Choose Arial for a modern typeface with a width that helps the text stand out.

Font 3

Verdana

Another sans-serif typeface, Verdana was designed by Matthew Carter for Microsoft in 1996. The design is known for being clean and easy to read, even at a small size.

Originally designed for on-screen use, today Verdana is used in print and online in equal measure.

Choose Verdana for a professional yet unique touch in your resume, offering a style similar to Arial, with subtle changes.

Font 4

Garamond

As far as popular fonts go, Garamond is an old-timer. This serif typeface goes back to the 16th Century to the French engraver Claude Garamond.

One of the most important typefaces in history, Garamond is known for its refined design, including delicate serifs and timeless quality.

Choose Garamond for a classic and refined touch that is sure to stand out among other applicants.

Font 5

Georgia

Matthew Carter created Georgia in 1993 for Microsoft, making it one of the first typefaces specifically designed for on-screen use.

Made to be legible even at small sizes, Georgia’s strong serifs make for an elegant and versatile look that’s one of the best resume fonts for academic and professional settings.

Choose Georgia for a simple serif font that is both elegant and easy to read.

Font 6

Roboto

Roboto is relatively new to the professional font scene. Created for Google in 2011 by Christian Robertson, this modernist typography was originally made for Android mobile devices but has since become popular in a huge range of print and digital media.

Choose Roboto for a minimalist design that invokes popular digital aesthetics, such as on iPhones and Facebook.

Font 7

Palatino Linotype

Originally designed for print media, Palatino Linotype was created by Hermann Zapf in 1948. Updated and expanded in 1993, this font is inspired by classic Roman typefaces.

This is one of the best professional resume fonts because its traditional serif typeface and symmetrical design are suitable for almost any job.

Choose Palatino Linotype to convey confidence and professionalism, reflecting its roots in traditional Roman typefaces.

Font 8

Trebuchet MS

Another Microsoft typeface — this one designed by Vincent Connare in 1996 — Trebuchet MS offers a clean, modern design that’s slightly condensed in appearance.

Included in many versions of Microsoft Office, the font’s inspiration is the Trebuchet, a Medieval weapon used to launch large objects through the air.

Choose Trebuchet MS for a modern yet distinctive font that sets your resume apart from those using more common options like Arial.

Font 9

Bodoni MT

This classic serif typeface goes back to the Italian typographer Giambattista Bodoni, who created it to improve the quality of printing in Europe. Bodoni MT is one of several digital versions of this resume font, and it was released in 1999 with an update to the Windows operating system.

It’s popular with designers for the elegant look and contrast between thin and thick strokes.

Choose Bodoni MT for a blend of classic elegance and uniqueness, making your resume stand out.

Font 10

Tahoma

Among professional resume fonts, Tahoma stands out for its uniform stroke widths and simple letterforms. This font was also designed by Matthew Carter for Microsoft. Fun fact: the name “Tahoma” is the Native American word for “mountain,” chosen to represent the font’s strong appearance.

Choose Tahoma for its effective and straightforward design with uniform lines, to add a bold touch to your resume.

Want to see how different fonts look on your resume?

Give our Resume Builder a try. Simply pick a template and start building.

What is the Best Font Size for Your Resume?

Does font size matter? Why would an employer care as long as you have the right qualifications?

The answer is yes, font size does matter.

When you’re trying to showcase your skills and qualifications in just a few seconds, you should never let font size get in the way of legibility.

So, what’s the best font size for a resume? The rule of thumb is that the font size should be between 10-12 pts for the main content. You may be able to go one point larger for a particularly small font or one point smaller for a wide, tall font.

Let’s see how different font sizes impact the look of a resume. We’ll compare resumes with fonts that are too large, too small and just the right size:

TOO BIG – 14pt

TOO SMALL – 8pt

JUST RIGHT – 11pt

Notice how the overly large and small fonts don’t quite work? They look somewhat off, don’t they?

As you can see, no matter what font size you use for the body text, the main header and sections headers will be larger. Here’s the correct font size for each of those:

Section headers should be between 14-16 pts.
Resume header (your name) should be between 28-35 pts.

Now that you know how to use the correct resume font size, let’s go over some key tips.

How to Format Your Resume Font

Picking the best resume font and sizing it correctly is one thing — making sure it’s properly formatted is another. Let’s take a look at common debates about resume fonts.

Font Color

There are two main rules for choosing a resume font color:

Black is always highly recommended: Employers will never complain when you use black font. It’s the go-to color for millions of job seekers.
Be careful with non-black font: If you want to use something other than black, make sure it is easy-to-read and consistently applied. For example, a dark turquoise would work, but baby blue would not. The latter is too light and hard to read. Also, if you make one header a dark turquoise blue, then all headers should be turquoise.

Additionally, instead of getting creative with the font color, why not add a spark to your traditional resume with the help of a creative resume template?

Using Italics, Bold & Underlining

You may be wondering about font styling — italics, bold and underlining. Each one has its time and place.

Italics are useful for calling out different types of information: For example, in a work history section, you should put the dates in italics to set them apart from the job title and company name.
Bold is often used in section headers or to highlight important information: For example, many resume templates put job titles in bold. This makes it easier for readers to see your career progression.
Underlining should be used sparingly, if at all: Underlined text is hard to read and makes the page feel cluttered.

Now, see how this example uses a bold font to differentiate between information:

Mixing Fonts

Generally speaking, we advise against mixing fonts. The problem is trying to mix fonts can easily go wrong and make the applicant look bad.

For example, many job seekers want to use one font for the resume body and a different font for section headers. But what if the font combination looks strange to the hiring manager? That’s not worth the risk.

However, if you’re a designer with an in-depth knowledge of typefaces, go for it. You’ll have the background to make judgment calls that are less likely to backfire.

Serif vs Sans Serif: Understanding the Difference

Knowing the difference between serif and sans-serif fonts will help you decide which type of font you’d rather use on your resume.

Serif fonts: These fonts have small decorative strokes (serifs) jutting out of each letter in the alphabet. Many older, classic fonts like Garamond and Times New Roman are serif fonts.
Sans-serif: These fonts don’t have these decorative elements. Instead, the letters are made up of clean, straight lines without (“sans”) flourishes. Designers see these fonts as modern and cool.

Either one of these styles can look great on a resume — it’s up to you to decide which you prefer.

Matching Fonts to Your Cover Letter

A rookie mistake job seekers make when writing a resume is to choose a resume font that’s different from their cover letter font.

Whatever you do, make sure your fonts are consistent throughout all of your documents. Using mismatched fonts and resume templates can result in a disjointed and unprofessional appearance.

Here’s an example of what happens when the fonts and the resume template you choose don’t align well:

Here’s what your resume and cover letter look like when the fonts are properly matched:

See the difference? When you pick the best font for a resume, you’re also picking a font for your cover letter — there’s no way around it.

Speaking of making sure your resume and cover letter match, you should also choose a cover letter template that complements your resume and use cover letter examples as inspiration when you sit down to write your letter. Don’t forget — you can use our Cover Letter Builder to make the job even faster.

Which Resume Fonts Should You Avoid?

You know the best resume font to use this year, but what about the worst? Here are four resume fonts you shouldn’t use under any circumstances.

Comic Sans

A classic no-no. Microsoft released this typeface in 1994 to mimic a style found in comic book speech bubbles. Today it comes off as silly and unprofessional.

Impact

The look of this font is very thick and compacted, making it difficult to differentiate between letters. Recruiters will toss a resume they can’t read — avoid this font.

Brush Script

Although this font attempts to be fancy, in practice, when you put the strokes together, it’s too splotchy and cramped. It strains the eyes and can get your resume instantly rejected.

Papyrus

This hand-drawn typeface is meant to look like it’s written on parchment. Hard to read, but the playful, hand-drawn appearance can also look tacky and cheap in a professional setting.

What Fonts Work Best for an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

Over 95% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS to screen job applicants for the skills and qualifications demanded by the role. There’s a good chance every job seeker has had their resume run through one of these systems at least once in their career.

Many tracking systems also have trouble processing resumes with certain design elements, like special fonts and background graphics. Anything unusual could trip up the system.

What’s the best way to make sure your resume is readable? Use an HR-approved resume template. There are simple designs and professional styles to choose from. If you want something more adventurous, consider using creative templates or modern ones.

By the way, the templates available on Microsoft Word and Google Docs are also ATS-compliant, so you might want to see what they have to offer.

Resume Fonts FAQ

Last Updated: August 30, 2024

There’s no single perfect font for a resume in 2024. Instead, focus on finding a professional resume font that is easy to read and looks nice on screen and on paper. Some of the fonts we recommend include:

Trebuchet MS
Arial
Calibri
Book Antiqua
Georgia
Cambria

Calibri is Microsoft Word’s default font, making it an excellent choice if you want a professional resume font. Other professional resume fonts worth considering are Arial, Times New Roman, Garamond and Georgia. Ultimately, all resume fonts should be legible. That’s the most important factor.

Modern fonts tend to be sans serif and use straight, geometrical lines to create a slightly futuristic feel. Good resume fonts in this vein include Helvetica, Futura and Avenir.

Yes! Choosing the right font for your resume is important. But, it’s even more important to not choose the wrong font. Choosing a font that’s hard to read or unprofessional can get a resume rejected before they even see the content.

We recommend professional resume fonts that have been tested extensively, like Arial, Times New Roman, Garamond and Trebuchet MS.

In general, you should only use fonts that are legible. Don’t use any fonts that are difficult to read, unprofessional or polarizing. Here’s a sample of resume fonts you shouldn’t use on your resume:

Comic Sans
Papyrus
Brush Script
Mistral
Impact
Lucina Console

Times New Roman is by far the resume font job seekers use the most. This traditional font became a classic when Microsoft made it the default font for Microsoft products. It held that title until Calibri became the default font in 2007. When it comes to more modern fonts, Arial is the favorite.

The best font color for a resume’s body text is black. Black font is elegant, easy to read and works for any industry or job. Now, when it comes to headers, you have more leeway. You can make your section headings pop with blue, green, orange, even neon pink as long as they are legible and applied consistently.

Yes, you can use a color font in the headers. For the sake of readability, it’s best to keep your body text black, but the headers can be any color you like as long as they meet two requirements:

1. You can easily read them.

2. The color is used consistently.

For example, using orange for the professional summary header and blue for education shouldn’t be done.

The best font for a resume would be a classic one like Calibri, Garamond or Times New Roman. These traditional fonts are perfect for highly professional fields like law, medicine and the sciences.

For a more modern look and feel, consider using a sans-serif font like Arial, Helvetica or Verdana. Today, these font types are also widely used in professional settings.

The most appealing resume format is the reverse-chronological resume. This resume format focuses on work history, putting your most recent position first and working backward. Its popularity stems from the way it prioritizes work experience — which employers love to see.

The other options include functional resumes, which put a much greater emphasis on skills, and the combination format, which gives equal balance to skills and work experience. These formats are most appealing to job seekers who don’t have professional experience.

Yes, in some cases adding color to your resume can help you stand out from the crowd. Black-and-white remains the standard, and for good reason — it’s easy to read and avoids questions of personal taste. That being said, color is a nice way to add a little visual flair to your resume. If you decide to add color, make sure the text contrasts with the resume background. You need your resume to be readable.

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Don is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with more than 10 years’ experience creating digital content, including four years helping job seekers develop their careers. He holds an M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University.