Best font for a resume: readable choices, sizes and margins.
Nobody is hired for a font, but a cramped or unusual one makes a good resume harder to read. Choose something plain, size it for the reader, and spend the time you save on your bullets.
Use a common, readable font such as Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Garamond, Georgia or Cambria. Set body text between 10 and 12 points, your name a little larger, and section headings in bold. Keep margins between 0.5 and 1 inch, use one font throughout, and avoid decorative or condensed fonts. Then paste your resume into a plain text editor to check it still reads in order.
Illustrative examples to adapt
Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.
Layout settings to copy
When to use: Setting up a new resume document.
Font: [one of Calibri, Arial, Garamond, Georgia, Cambria] Name: [14 to 18 pt], bold Section headings: [11 to 13 pt], bold, all caps or small caps Body text: [10 to 12 pt] Line spacing: [1.0 to 1.15] Margins: [0.5 to 1 inch] on every side Bullets: simple round or dash bullets
Plain-text check
When to use: Before you send any resume.
1. Open your resume and select all text 2. Paste it into a plain text editor 3. Check that sections appear in order and nothing is missing 4. Check that dates sit next to the right jobs 5. Fix anything that came out scrambled, then repeat
Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Every sample on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Font choices
| Font type | Examples | Use it? |
|---|---|---|
| Sans-serif | Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Verdana | Yes: clean on screens |
| Serif | Garamond, Georgia, Cambria, Times New Roman | Yes: traditional and readable |
| Condensed or light | Narrow or thin variants | No: hard to read at small sizes |
| Decorative or script | Handwriting or display fonts | No |
| More than one font | A heading font plus a body font | Usually not; one font is safer |
The same line, rewritten
Illustrative example with placeholders.
| Version | Example |
|---|---|
| Weak | Body text at 8 point with 0.3-inch margins to fit everything on one page. |
| Strong | Body text at 10.5 point with 0.7-inch margins, after cutting two older roles to a single 'Earlier experience' line. |
Why it matters: Squeezing text makes every line harder to read. Cutting content is the better fix, and it usually improves the resume too.
Mistakes to avoid
- Choosing a font for personality instead of readability.
- Using text boxes, columns or images for key information.
- Putting important details in the header or footer only.
- Mixing several fonts and sizes.
- Using colour that is hard to read when printed in black and white.
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Questions people ask
What is the best font for a resume?
What font size should a resume be?
Is Times New Roman OK for a resume?
What margins should a resume have?
How this page is built
Written by Maid Dizdarevic, a career coach and 8x LinkedIn Top Voice. Advice is labelled as advice. Every sample uses a fictional person marked '(illustrative)' or a 'Your name' placeholder, and every employer, school, date and result is a bracketed placeholder for your own true details.
- What a specific employer screens for: always read the posting.
- Your results: we never invent numbers, and you should never copy a result you did not achieve.
- Outcomes: no resume, letter or program can promise an interview or a job.
- TryHired editorial guidance by Maid Dizdarevic, career coach, Nov 2, 2026.