Best Fonts to Use on Your CV

You may have a flair for presenting yourself with words that is head and shoulders above your contemporaries. But if you use the wrong font on your CV, it is going to undermine your credibility from the get-go. Fonts say a lot about a person, while at the same time establishing a mood for the reader to inhabit. If the typeface you choose is too busy it is going to cause unease in the reader, while a font that is too whimsical will set a romantic tone that is diametrically opposed to what you want for a CV. So, what are the best fonts to use on your CV? And is one better than the others?

The Two Main Types of Fonts Explained

There are countless fonts in common use these days but almost all fall into one of two categories: serif and sans-serif. These two font families dominate book and magazine publishing, web publishing and professional correspondence.

The main difference between the two – the element that determines whether a font is serif or sans-serif – is the presence or absence of decorative lines (serifs) or flourishes. These additions do not in any way change the sound of the letter. They are only there for aesthetic reasons or to set a particular mood, whether that be fanciful, historic or romantic.

Fonts that do not employ these flourishes are said to be sans-serif fonts. That is, “without serifs”. Sans-serif fonts convey a more professional feeling and are most often used in legal, medical, financial and business communications. Because you want the reader to focus only on the facts, the best fonts to use on your CV are serif fonts.

Why The Font You Choose for Your CV Matters

The font you choose for your CV serves multiple purposes including:

Maximizing readability: It’s vital that your CV is easy to read. If it’s not, it will most likely wind up being filed with the rubbish. The people reading your CV need to absorb a lot of information in a short amount of time. A hard-to-read CV with an overly-busy font is going to irritate them, not impress them.

Establishing your professionalism: The right font says a lot about you. It says you respect the HR person who has to read your CV. It also says you understand something about business and that you are a serious-minded individual with a professional attitude.

Making your CV easily scannable: An increasing number of companies are using Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software to help them sift through the mountains of CVs they receive. The best fonts to use on your CV then are clean, clear and easy to read/scan.

The Best Fonts to Use on Your CV: Conclusion

With all of the above in mind, we recommend using one of the following for your resume:

• Calibri
• Helvetica
• Arial

Calibri especially is renowned for its readability and the way it hints at just a little bit of modern informality. In addition, it won’t get in the way when there are large amounts of information to present.

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