The Font Size Matters Too
If your font is too small, hiring managers will have to squint to read your resume. If its too large, your resume will look bulky and end up being longer than it needs to be.
To avoid making any mistakes when it comes to font sizes and formatting, here are my three general rules:
You can always utilize font sizes to manipulate the length of your resume. For example, if your resume is sitting at 1.5 pages when using 10-point font, consider increasing the font size to 12 points in order to get your resume closer to a full two pages.
Of course, its ultimately your experience and skills that will win over employers. But using a clear font in a size that makes sense will boost your chances of getting your resume the time and attention it deserves.
Peter Yang;is a career expert and the CEO of;Resume Writing Services, the parent company of;ResumeGo. Before that, he worked as a hiring manager and recruiter. Follow him on Twitter;.
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What Are The Best Resume Font Sizes
Which exact font sizes are best for your resume will vary based on the font youve picked and your situation. So choose your font first and use your own judgement to determine which font sizes are most appropriate.
Here are some general guidelines from our experts to get you started:
- Your Name: 20-24 point
- Headings and Subheadings: 11-14 point
- Body Text and Your Contact Info: 10-12 point
Ultimately, the most important component of your resume is the content. Your font and font size choices should be about making sure your content is clear so you can convince the reader you’re right for the job.
Regina Borsellino is a NYC-based editor at The Muse covering job search and career advice, particularly resume best practices, interviewing, remote work, and personal and professional development. Before joining The Muse, Regina was an editor for InvestorPlace, where she also wrote about topics such as investing and biotech companies. She holds a BA in English language and literature from the University of Maryland and an MFA in creative writing from American University. Find her on and .
Free Vs Premium Fonts: What Font To Use For A Resume
Its true,you dont need to buy a premium font to write a resume. Resumes that use apremium font thats submitted using a word processor or an online jobapplication form may not render correctly, especially if the recipient doesnthave the resume font in their system. This is why most of the resume templateson Envato Elements use free fonts.
That said, dontdismiss premium fonts just yet. You can use them if youre submitting yourresume on PDF or on the print version of the resume you’ll carry to an interview.A readable yet unique looking premium font will catch the recruiters attentionwhen they read your resume.
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The Top 8 Resume Fonts
Font selection is an important part of your resume because it sets a tone for your whole document. You can use different fonts for the body and the headings, but you donât want to use more than two.
The fonts listed aboveâand detailed belowâare all good, clean font choices. Any font with too many flourishes risks being illegible to the ATS . You want your font to come across as professional, not detract from your message.
The Best Font Size And Styles For Your Resume
When writing a resume, you have to cover all the bases. Every section can influence the recruiters decision to invite you to a job interview. All key information must be provided and written in complete detail. You have to run a spelling and grammar check because these types of mistakes are unforgivable with recruiters. If everything appears in order, dont submit your resume yet. Are you sure you used the best font size and style for your resume?
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The Best Fonts And Size To Use On A Resume
Caitlin Proctor, CPRW
9 min read
Finding a job is tough these days, with steep competition and hundreds of applications per open job listing. You want every aspect of your resume and cover letter to convey that youâre the best fit for the job. After youâve considered your experience, skills, education, and qualifications, you have another choice to make: what is the best font to use for your resume?
Your resume font is one of those things that can either support your message or send the wrong message . In this article, weâll give you the 8 best fonts to use on your resume and how you can choose the right fit for your resume.
In addition to the best fonts, this post also includes these sections:
If you prefer, we have the same information in video format.
Does Your Resume Font Really Matter
Imagine an ad for a sleek, ultra-thin cell phone. What kind of design and font do you picture in the marketing materials?
You probably dreamed up something as slender and condensed as the phone itself. You wouldnt expect a marketing team to use anything flowery, ornate, or thick and bold if theyre trying to get customers to think thin:
Image courtesy of Apple.com
Now imagine an ad for a fantasy novel. How would the words pop on the page?
You probably didnt imagine something traditional and straightforward, right? If youre going to dive into a fairy tale universe packed with dragon-slayers and towering castles, youll probably expect to see a font with a few flourishes and curlicues.
When you craft your resume, think of yourself as a marketing team of one. Youre designing for the recruiters or employers first impression of you with your cover letter and resume. Youre selling yourself in every aspect of your self-branding, from content to timeliness and format.
When your name lands on an employers desk or in their inbox, you want them to come away with a great impression of you! They arent seeing you in person, and there are no other context clues to give them any other ideas than what you present them witheven something as seemingly small as format or font. Because everything they see about you will be written in your chosen font, it will make a much bigger difference than you might imagine!
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Best Font For A Resume
Most recruiters take about seven seconds to scan over a resume, so font type and size are important considerations for readability and professional appearance. Whichever font style you choose, it should be easy on the eyes and have enough white space to read well on desktop, mobile screens, and in print.
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How Do You Pick A Resume Font
So how do you know which of these more traditional, easy-to-read fonts you should pick? That depends on your personal preference and what you think sends the right message for your resume. The saying, Dress for the job you want applies to font choice too! Yurovsky says.
You might want to consider whether a serif or sans serif font is best for you. If you want to make your resume look more modern you might choose a sans serif font like Arial or Calibri, and avoid serif fonts like Times New Roman and Georgia, says Muse career coach Debra Boggs. But if you work in higher education or the medical field, a serif font like Georgia would be appropriate.
To figure out which type of font youre looking at, check the capital Tsif the top has short lines hanging down on either side, those lines are serifs. But if the top of the T is a single line straight across, you have a sans serif font.
Once youve decided between serif and sans serif, choosing a font comes down to which one looks best to you!
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Best Resume Fonts Explained
A font refers to the representation of text in a document. Most often, fonts are used in Microsoft Office programs, particularly in Microsoft Word. MS Word is the predominant word processor used in writing resumes.
Resumes often play an essential role in a persons life. It is a summary of the persons characterInterpersonal IntelligenceInterpersonal intelligence refers to the ability of a person to relate well with people and manage relationships. It enables people to understand the needs and motivations of those around them, which helps strengthen their overall;influence. People with interpersonal intelligence, as well as their experience and capabilities. A good resume is a pathway to the next job opportunity. You need to present it officially and respectfully in order to make a good impression.
What Are The 5 Main Things Your Cv Should Include
Key Takeaways
Every CV should include the following sections: Contact Information, Personal Statement, Work Experience, Education, Skills. Additional sections you can put on a CV include: Professional certifications, Hobbies and Interests, Languages, Volunteering, Projects, Publications, Awards and Conferences.
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+ Job Titles Matched With The Popular Resume Fonts
There are no definitive rules for what fonts should be used in a resume to apply for specific jobs. But there are guidelines that can help you choose the best font for a resume and job application.
Times New Roman and similar Serif fonts are seen as traditional and classic. Therefore Serif fonts are usually used for jobs like accounting and nursing.
Arial and similar Sans Serif family fonts are seen as modern and minimal. Fonts in the Sans family are usually used in resumes for industries like architecture and marketing.
Choose The Right Font Size For Your Resume
The size of the font is another important aspect to consider. If you choose a size too big, your resume may end up being longer than one page. On the other hand, a small font size might make it hard to read and put off the recruiter. As a rule of thumb, you can use different font sizes to make information and headings stand out. Just remember to always stay consistent with the font size for instance, only use one font size for your body text and only use another font size for section headings.
Make your resume easy to read with these general guidelines
- Your Name: 18 to 24 points
- Heading and Subheading: 12 to 14 points
- The body of your resume: 10 to 12 points
If your resume ends up being one or two lines too short or long, you can polish it up by adjusting the size of your resume font. Adjusting the font size by as little as one-tenth of a point can change the length of your resume without affecting the readability. This can make your resume look more elegant and polished.
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How Do You Keep It Interesting
These suggestions and guidelines might sound boring, but dont worry, You can still have an aesthetically pleasing resume by using the good old fonts weve seen over and over again, Yurovsky says.
For example, you can use bold and italics for job titles or company names to add to the visual appeal, Muse career coach Jillian Lucas points out. You can also use color and underlines, in moderationtoo many colors will look unprofessional and underlining should be reserved for headings since people tend to read underlined text as hyperlinks.
You can also choose to use multiple fonts on your resume, but make sure to keep it simple. Pick one font for your name and section headings and another, complementary font for the rest of your content, Yurovsky says. More than two fonts will start to distract the reader.
Pick An Appropriate Font Size
Depending on how much content you have in your letter, select a 10- or 12-point font size.
Its best if you can format your cover letter so it fits on one page, with margins that are no larger than 1 and no smaller than .7.
If your letter includes a heading with your name and contacts information, you may choose to make this font slightly larger.
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Should You Use Different Colored Fonts On Your Resume
As I’ve mentioned above, finding ways to stand out on your resume is key.
Typefaces, font size, and general formatting are subtle ways to inject personality into your resume. Colors are a bit more direct.
Adding a splash of color can make your resume pop! I’ve personally done it on my own resume, check it out:
It’s easy to go overboard and end up with a resume that looks tacky or gimmicky.
Notice how I’ve only injected color into a few areas of my resume and I kept things consistent. If want to do this yourself, I only recommend changing the colors for:
- Your name
- The section headers on your resume
- Any bars/charts in your skills section
- Any lines on your resume
I’d recommend picking three of those four so you don’t go overboard. Also, I’d recommend keeping things to a single color. Adding multiple colors to your resume is distracting and confusing.
These Are The Best Fonts For Your Resume In 2021
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When it comes to crafting the perfect resume to land your dream job, you probably think of just about everything but the font. But font is a key part of your first impression to recruiters and employers.
In this post, I’m going to walk you through the 10 best fonts for your resume . We’ll also talk about why employers care about font choice and how you can use it to set yourself apart from the competition.
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A Word On Creativity Andstyle When Using Good Resume Fonts
Applicantsin creative fields dont use wacky and cursive fonts just because theyresupposed to be creative. You can add style and creativity in your resume withstandard yet beautiful looking fonts. You can even use colors, and emphasis to make your resume stand out.
For bestresults, pick two to three good resume fonts. Use the same resume font type for allyour headings to give your resume an easy to understand structure as well.Consistent style makes your resume look professional and easy to read.
The resumetemplate below uses the color red for contrast and bold formatting to emphasizekey information.;
Takeaways Best Font And Size For Your Resume
Your best choice for resume font is to use one of the fonts weve listed, and to stick to a font size between 10.5 and 12 points.
Now you know what a good font for your resume is , youre ready to start writing your own.
For more information on how to present your resume on a page, our resume margins page will give you the full lowdown on margins and colors.
And for inspiration on the actual content, take a look at some of our resume samples, which cater to all industries. Or just use our resume builder to create your own resume in minutes, the choice is yours. Happy job hunting!
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Ideal Font Style For Cover Letters & Resumes
Bold fontBold text is particularly useful for drawing the readers attention to specific words or phrases. In the case of resume writing, you can guide their gaze over to resume keywords.
In the resume work experience section, bolding is great to start off each entry, specifically to highlight the position you have/had. Check the example:
- Effective Writing for Strategic Public Relations
- Social, Legal, and Ethical Foundations of Public Relations
- Business and Economic Foundations of Public Relations
Italic fontItalics are great for supporting text, such as dates and explanatory statements.
In the resume work history area, italics comes in handy for the second line, where you give the company name you worked for, along with the city and state. See the example:
jetBlue Airways, New York, NY
UnderlineDont underline text on your resume. Underlining will already be used on digital resumes to identify and email addresses and URLs, such as your LinkedIn profile. Any more underlined text and the resume starts feeling messy.
Font ColorFor most resume designs, youre best sticking with a black color font. Black stands out best against light backgrounds, making it clear and legible.
However, if you have a dual-tone resume, with say a heading area in dark blue, white text goes well here.
Line spacingWhen writing, line spacing is the space that separates one row of text with the row above or below it.
Resume Fonts & Sizes:
- The most common font to use is Times New Roman, in black and size 12;points.
- Other serif fonts to consider that are easy to read include: Georgie, Bell MT, Goudy Old Style, Garamond.
- Popular sans serif fonts include Arial, Tahoma, Century Gothic, and Lucida Sans.
- Any of the above;fonts would be reasonable for a resume as long as you consistently use one font only.
- Make your headings and name stand out, think of your resume like a blog post or newspaper article.
- Make headlines bold, Italicise, CAPITALISE, or underline. And feel free to increase the font size to 14-16 points.
- Try and keep your resume to one page,;leave the reader wanting to know more.
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What Is The Best Font Size To Use For A Resume
Generally, a 10- to 12-point font size is recommended. A good rule of thumb to remember: Don’t decide on a font size until you’ve chosen the specific font you’ll use for your resume. This is because some fonts like Calibri and Trebuchet MS, take up less space than Times New Roman or Verdana.
Depending on the font, you might be able to slightly reduce or slightly increase its size to have the;two-page resume that recruiters like while still ensuring it’s easy to read and the format is pleasing.
However, going above a 12-point font in the resume body to make two pages means you probably need to add more details about your past responsibilities and achievements or include skills developed from voluntary work and hobbies.
If you’re submitting your resume online, you also might need to use a 12-point font size throughout and eliminate any formatting, like underlining, italics, or bolding. Online programs often convert your information to an;ASCII format,;or ask you to use an ASCII format so the resume displays correctly, and a 12-point font works best.