Do you want to know if there is a recommended font for resumes?
Yes, there is — not just one, but many — a veritable fontroversy!
So what should a job seeker do? How can you decide which font is the best for your resume?
5 Considerations for Resume Fonts
I consider 5 factors when choosing and recommending fonts for resumes:
- Microsoft Word: I limit myself to fonts that come with Word because recruiters and hiring managers often ask for .doc files. If you use a non-standard font in a .doc file, it will render oddly on many screens.
- Reader Experience: I want an easy-to-read font (more below) so readers will go beyond a 6-second scan.
- Mobile-Friendly: The font needs to render well on mobile devices.
- Font Size & Word Counts: I want a font that lets me write 600 to 750 words on 2 pages. The ideal word count for most resumes is 600 to 700 (per the research). Calibri delivers better than any other font.
- Don’t Overthink It: If people can easily read your resume, you win. They’re more interested in that than the merits of Calibri versus Helvetica or any other font.
Recommended Font for Resumes
When I consider those factors and every MS Word font (I’ve tried them all), there’s only one I recommend for resumes — 11-point Calibri.
Microsoft designed it for computer screens and made it their default Office font. Thus, it’s familiar to your readers and easy on their eyes.
That said, I agree with Calibri’s critics; it’s not a beautiful font. I wish Microsoft would provide a collection of standard fonts purpose-selected for resumes. But until they do, I’ll stick with Calibri because it checks all my other boxes.
Best Font Size for Resumes
Moving on to font size, notice I referred to 11-point Calibri above.
I’ve tried 10-point and 12-point, but 11-point Calibri rocks it for producing a 2-page resume.
I mostly use 15-point Calibri for headings.
I always use 10-point Calibri for company descriptions.
Resumes Written in Calibri
Do you want to see some examples? You can find links to 2 resumes written in Calibri here.
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Updated June 2023
© 2013 – 2024, Donna Svei. All rights reserved.
Donna Svei
Donna Svei, an executive resume writer and former C-level executive, retained search consultant, and CPA, authors all of AvidCareerist’s posts.
She is a Fast Company Contributor and has written for and been quoted by 100+ business and general media outlets, including Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, CNBC, the New York Times, USA Today, Time, US News & World Report, CBS, the BBC, Lifehacker, Social Media Today, IT World, and Business News Daily.
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