Finding the font that represents your professional path will help recruiters to scan your CV in the most agile way.
Careers advice, CV

What are the best fonts for a resume?

Choosing the right font is very important, but don’t forget to wisely focus on its size as well

An efficient CV is not just about the content, it is also about the type of font you decide to use, in order to allow recruiters to read your resume in a more agile way.

Using types of fonts that are heavy or distracting is never a good strategy, so you should focus on a cleaner and more elegant font instead.

According to Ashley Hodder, a Technical Recruiter at HubSpot,  ”a resume shouldn’t have distracting font, and it should be easy to read. [But] what I get most excited about is the content. Depending on the role, I look to see that candidates are sharing direct and compelling snapshots of their work. I look for indicators that show data orientation, autonomy, and thoughtfulness about business impact.”

Choosing the right font is also a question of time for an HR professional. Various studies prove that a recruiter scans a CV in about six seconds before moving on or establishing that a candidate should be taken into consideration for a specific position. That is why it is so important to make the right choice of your font and “evoke a sense of style, professionalism and uniqueness”.

But what are the simplest recommended fonts for an elegant and easy to scan CV?

According to most recruiters, classical fonts are the smartest option. These include Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Helvetica and Cambria. The size of the font is also crucial, and 12 is considered the most appropriate one. Paulina Valdez Franco, a Senior Recruiter at HubSpot, however, supports fonts other than Times New Roman. She says: “My two favorite fonts for 2019 are Helvetica, if you’re looking for a clean and classic look, and Georgia, if you’re going after a more modern and fun look. The latter is also designed to read well on screens. Additionally, Paulina added, “Arial and Calibri are great choices if you want to play it safe.”

The font you use tells a lot about your professional persona and ambitions, and that is why you cannot ignore an element of this kind. Each HR professional has a specific preference about the font they expect to find in a CV in order to save time and energy during the scanning phase. Of course, if you decide to use larger fonts, this will not be a problem in case of heading or titles of the sections. Never go lower that 10.5 because this will make difficult for the recruiter to have a fast and easy-to-read approach.

Using the right font can open the door to a successful job interview and a first contact with the recruiter. Before submitting such document (always use a PDF format), don’t be afraid to share it with friends or former colleagues that can proofread it and provide an opinion about the quality of the font. Asking for advice, especially if you are an unexperienced professional, is always a great way of improving your skills, even if it’s about the format of your resumé.

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