The Best Fonts for Your Resume in 2025

Which fonts should you use on your resume? We asked Geoff Scott, a Hiring Manager and CPRW with 8+ years of experience about his preferred fonts:

I like to see fonts that are easy to read like Arial since I’m on a computer all day and it’s something I’m familiar with. Essentially, fonts shouldn’t distract me from the content of your resume, so as long as I don’t think “what’s going on with this resume’s font?” then your choice of font and font size was good.

Geoff Scott, Hiring Manager and CPRW

To help you make a flawless first impression, we’ll take you through the best expert-recommended fonts for resumes in 2025 and provide tips for using them effectively.

1. Arial

Arial is a popular sans-serif font that’s easy to read, making it versatile for any industry. Arial’s modern yet understated style keeps the focus on your content while maintaining a polished and organized look.

Arial is a good choice if you want a clean, no-nonsense look to your resume.

2. Lato

Lato was designed to be “serious but friendly” according to its designer. This balance makes it a perfect font if you want to bring a touch of originality to your resume while keeping a neat, professional look.

If you’re looking to strike a balance between professionalism and personality, Lato is an ideal choice.

3. Calibri

Calibri is the default font for Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, etc.), so it’s a font we already associate with a business environment.

It’s a widely used font with a clean look, making it an ideal choice if you want your qualifications to take center stage while projecting a professional and approachable image.

4. Helvetica

Helvetica is another classic sans-serif font option that’s widely used in logos and signs all over the world. It’s a top choice for resumes due to its clean and timeless design.

Known for its versatility, Helvetica works well across various industries, from design and tech to corporate roles.

5. Trebuchet MS

Designed for on-screen reading, Trebuchet MS is an excellent sans-serif font that adds some creativity without sacrificing clarity.

If you want to bring a bit of personality to your resume, consider Trebuchet MS as one of the more unique, yet still professional, options.

6. Cambria

The first of the serif fonts on this list, Cambria is known for its even proportions that make it easy to read even at smaller sizes.

Designed for both on-screen and printed text, Cambria ensures your resume looks polished and easy to read in any format.

7. Georgia

Georgia is very similar to Times New Roman, but works slightly better on digital display because it’s easy to read even in low resolution. It was commissioned by Microsoft in 1993 and is the main font for the New York Times.

Georgia’s readability makes it a great choice for any resume, but it also “exudes a sense of friendliness” according to Microsoft.

8. Garamond

Based in Roman type, Garamond is a lighter serif font that brings a bit of formality to your resume.

Garamond is a thinner font, so it’s great for saving space if you need to fit a lot of information on your resume.

9. Book Antiqua

Book Antiqua is another popular resume font choice if you prefer the look of a serif.

One of the more elegant fonts on this list, Book Antiqua is perfect for fields like law and academia. And if you don’t work in those fields, look at resume examples from your industry to see if it makes sense for your situation.

10. Times New Roman

Times New Roman is a classic serif font that was created in 1931 for The Times newspaper and has since become one of the most popular fonts in the world.

It’s a great choice for your resume if you want to give a sense of professionalism akin to the countless books, magazines, and reports that have used this font.

Serif vs. sans-serif fonts

Serif fonts have small decorative strokes or “tails” at the ends of the letters, giving them a classic and traditional look, often associated with formality and professionalism.

Sans-serif fonts, on the other hand, lack these embellishments, resulting in a clean, modern, and minimalist appearance that’s often seen as more approachable and contemporary.

Which one you choose depends on the tone you want to convey and your target industry.

Some people argue that serif fonts are best for printed resumes, while sans serif fonts are optimal for digital resumes, but these days hiring managers are used to reading both font styles on paper and on screens.

Tips for using fonts effectively

Choosing the right font is just the first step—how you use it can make or break your resume.

Use the right font size

The standard font sizes for resumes are as follows:

• Header (your name): 28-35pt
• Section headers: 14-16pt
• Body content: 10-12pt

Readability is the most important part of choosing your resume font size. So while 10–12 points works for most fonts, some fonts might need to be set at a slightly smaller or larger size.

To find a perfect balance:

1. pick a font style
2. adjust the font size until your resume appears filled (but not stuffed) with text
3. ask someone else to read your resume to see if the text looks too big or small

Fonts vary in width and spacing, so some of them will take up more space on your resume, even at the same font size. To help you, we’ve included our recommended font size for the 10 best resume fonts on this list.

Keep your formatting consistent

Keeping the formatting on your resume consistent makes your resume look polished and professional. This makes it easier for hiring managers to focus on your qualifications.

Inconsistent fonts, sizes, or styles can create a cluttered look, distract from your content, and suggest a lack of attention to detail.

A clean, uniform format communicates that you’re organized, detail-oriented, and serious about presenting yourself as a top candidate.

Choose an appropriate font for your industry

The font you choose for your resume should reflect the norms and expectations of your industry.

For creative fields like design or marketing, modern and stylish fonts such as Lato or Raleway can help highlight your innovative personality.

In more traditional industries like law, academia, or finance, classic serif fonts like Cambria or Garamond convey professionalism and reliability.

Tech and startup roles often favor clean and minimalist sans-serif fonts like Helvetica or Open Sans, which signal a modern and forward-thinking approach.

Pairing fonts on your resume: 3 examples

One of the best ways to make your resume stand out is to use multiple complementary fonts so you get some variation between the headers and content.

And you don’t need to be a design expert or typographer to choose a great font pairing. Using a high-quality resume template with pre-selected fonts makes it easy to get an aesthetically pleasing resume that’s sure to leave a positive first impression on hiring managers.

Below, we’ve selected a few examples of resume templates that use stylish font pairings:

1. Lora and Nunito Sans

These fonts work together seamlessly to create a sleek, modern look in our Unique template, which also features a simple monogram detail in the header.

2. Josefin Sans and Raleway

The modern design of our Current template uses clean fonts to balance out the stylized heading. This font pairing is perfect for industries like tech or design.

3. Abel and Open Sans

The sleek structure of our Windsor template allows for a more playful heading font while prioritizing readability in the body content.

Frequently asked questions about resume fonts

Here are some commonly asked questions about fonts on resumes:

How do I make sure my resume font is ATS-friendly?

To ensure compatibility with applicant tracking systems (ATS), use standard, widely available fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, as these are easily recognized by ATS.

Stick to clear, readable typefaces and avoid complex formatting or unusual fonts, which can cause parsing errors and potentially exclude your resume from consideration.

Which fonts should I avoid using on my resume?

Avoid using gimmicky fonts like Comic Sans, Brush Script, or Papyrus on your resume, as they appear unprofessional and distract from your content.

Also, steer clear of overly decorative or handwriting-style fonts, as well as extremely thin or hard-to-read options, which can make your resume difficult to read and leave a bad impression on hiring managers.

How can I make my resume stand out without using a crazy font?

To make your resume stand out without using an unconventional font, focus on:

• Making header fonts larger and bolder
• Consistent and clean formatting
• Balanced use of white space

You could also opt for a professional but slightly less common font like Trebuchet MS, and pay attention to create a polished yet unique look.

Is it okay to use multiple fonts on my resume?

It’s perfectly fine to use 1–2 fonts on your resume to create a subtle contrast, such as pairing a bold header font with a clean body font. However, avoid using more than two fonts, as that can make your resume appear cluttered and unprofessional.