These Are The Most Effective Resume Fonts in 2019

As a seasoned full-stack developer and technical hiring manager, I‘ve seen thousands of resumes over the years. One thing I‘ve learned is that your resume font matters much more than you might think.

On average, recruiters take only 6 seconds to decide if a resume is worth reading in more detail. In that short time, they notice your font before anything else. It‘s the first impression you make on paper or screen. And as the saying goes, you only get one chance at a first impression.

Your font choice helps determine whether recruiters see you as professional, creative, experienced, and detail-oriented – or sloppy, immature, and unconcerned with quality. In my experience, candidates who carelessly use fonts like Comic Sans are almost always rejected right away.

But the right font, used well, can convince employers to take a closer look. It shows you are thoughtful about how you present yourself and your work. In a sea of applicants, it helps you stand out in a good way. That‘s true whether you‘re an entry-level programmer or a senior software architect.

If you‘re revamping your resume for 2019, carefully consider which font will represent you best. Here are my top recommendations as a full-stack developer and the science behind why they work.

Why Fonts Make Such a Big Impact

Most of us know that using Comic Sans on a resume is a bad idea. But not everyone understands why fonts matter so much in the first place.

Studies show that font influences our emotions, perceptions, and behaviors in subtle but significant ways. One experiment found that people were more likely to believe information printed in Baskerville than in Comic Sans. Another showed that people recalled information better when it was presented in a hard-to-read font.

Why? Because of how our brains work. We‘re constantly making lightning-fast judgments about our surroundings based on visual cues. Fonts convey a lot about personality and professionalism before we‘ve even read the words.

As graphic designer David Airey explains, "We‘re hardwired to process visuals more quickly than language. Fonts give us important signals about the information we‘re about to consume."

Different fonts are associated with different traits. Serif fonts like Times New Roman feel stable and mature, sans serifs like Arial seem clean and modern, scripts appear elegant and creative, and novelty fonts like Impact feel casual and loud.

The font you choose for your resume conveys volumes about the type of employee you might be. Are you traditional or trendy? Reliable or risky? Conventional or creative? Conscientious or careless? Your font is the first clue.

The Best and Worst Resume Fonts for 2019

Every year, graphic designers crown the most fashionable fonts. But trendy isn‘t what you‘re going for on a resume. You need a font that‘s contemporary yet timeless, professional yet not too boring.

A resume font should be:

1. Easy to read at a glance
2. Widely available on different computers/systems
3. Appropriate for your industry and career stage
4. Consistent with your personal brand

With those criteria in mind, these are my picks for the 10 best resume fonts for 2019:

1. Calibri – As the default Microsoft Word font, it‘s a safe, standard choice. It‘s clean and modern without being too austere. Familiar to all, it‘s a good universal option.

2. Helvetica – This classic sans serif is a favorite among designers and a common choice for corporate brands. It conveys clarity and sophistication. If you‘re in a creative field, it‘s a great way to show you‘re contemporary and detail-oriented.

3. Georgia – A highly readable serif font that‘s like a fresher, more modern version of the old standby Times New Roman. Its letterforms were specifically designed for screens. It‘s a solid, timeless choice for any professional.

4. Verdana – Designed to be easy to read at small sizes on screens, Verdana is a long-time web standard. It‘s clean and friendly, with an appealing modern look. Ideal if you want to appear both professional and approachable.

5. Lato – A newer font that‘s become popular for both web and print design, Lato feels professional and modern but a bit softer and warmer than traditional sans serifs. It‘s a good choice if you want to stand out without going too far outside the box.

6. Garamond – With its classic, old-style feel, this serif font lends an air of established reliability. It has a certain gravity that reads as intelligent and trustworthy. A great choice for academics, lawyers, and executives.

7. Arial – Known for being easy to read on screens and at small sizes, Arial is a perennial resume favorite. This safe, sans serif is a bit more modern than Times New Roman but not too adventurous. A good bet for any industry.

8. Book Antiqua – With its symmetrical letterforms and classic proportions, Book Antiqua has a traditional yet elegant feel. Not as common as Times New Roman but just as dependable and professional. Could be a great way to set yourself apart if you‘re an experienced candidate.

9. Gill Sans – A classic British typeface with a warm, friendly geometry and an art deco flair. It would serve a graphic designer or illustrator well, but maintains enough restraint for industries like marketing and PR.

10. Trebuchet MS – Designed by Microsoft, this humanist sans serif has a clean, modern look that reads as professional but with personality. It‘s a fresher, less overused alternative to Arial and Helvetica. Well-suited for younger candidates in creative and tech fields.

What these resume fonts have in common is their legibility and professionalism. None are too narrow, too wide, too thin, too quirky, or too hard to read. They‘re strong and simple, designed more for utility than style.

Avoid these 5 fonts that make you look immature, lazy, or out-of-touch:

1. Comic Sans – The most famously hated font, it‘s too casual and childish for a resume. Steer clear.
2. Courier – This typewriter font might be acceptable for novelists but not software developers. It‘s clunky and old-fashioned.
3. Papyrus – You‘re applying for a job, not planning an Egyptian-themed dinner party. Enough said.
4. Brush Script – Pretty on a wedding invitation, too hard to read on a resume. Save the swirls and flourishes for the dance floor.
5. Times New Roman – Although it has long been the standard, this default font now feels utterly generic, like you didn‘t put any thought into your typeface.

"Using Times New Roman is the typeface equivalent of wearing sweatpants to an interview," says Bloomberg Business writer Natalie Kitroeff. Ouch. You don‘t have to go avant-garde, but a more modern serif (Georgia, Garamond) or sans serif (Calibri, Helvetica) will serve you better.

Choosing the Right Font for Your Field and Seniority

You‘re a software engineer, not a graphic designer. Your goal is not to have the prettiest resume in the pile, but rather the most relevant and easy to scan.

Still, some fonts will probably be more suitable for your specific industry and career stage. A flashy novelty font might be too risky if you‘re applying for a job at a bank, but it could give you an edge in the design industry.

A good rule of thumb is that serif fonts (those with the little "feet") feel more traditional and established, while sans serifs read as more modern and cutting-edge. In general, serifs are a safer choice for veteran candidates in conservative industries, and sans serifs are better for younger applicants and "new economy" fields like tech.

Let‘s take a look at some of the most popular resume fonts for software developers:

Font Name	Style	Best For
Calibri	Modern sans serif	All-purpose, any level
Helvetica	Classic sans serif	Creative fields, mid-career
Verdana	Humanist sans serif	Tech, entry-level
Garamond	Old-style serif	Senior developers, lead roles
Georgia	Transitional serif	All-purpose, any level

These fonts are reliably legible and professional. You really can‘t go wrong with any of them. Ultimately, the best font for you depends on your personal brand and the impression you want to make.

Are you a new graduate trying to prove you‘re mature and motivated? A polished serif like Georgia might be your best bet. Applying for a cutting-edge tech startup? Try a sleek, modern sans serif like Helvetica. Aiming for a promotion to a management role? A respected font like Calibri can underscore your credibility and experience.

The most important thing is to pick a font that feels authentically "you" and keep it consistent with the rest of your resume design and personal branding. As a full-stack developer, I lean towards clean, readable sans serifs like Roboto that get the job done without a lot of extra embellishment.

Formatting for Maximum Readability

Choosing a great font is only the first step. How you use that font on the page also matters. Even the most beautiful typeface can‘t save a cluttered, confusing layout.

Follow these tips to ensure your font is working to your greatest advantage:

• Size matters – Your font should be large enough to read easily but not comically huge. Avoid sizes below 10 pts at all costs. A good rule of thumb is 10-12 pts for body text and 14-16 pts for headings.

• Stick to one or two fonts max – Using too many fonts is confusing and messy. Choose one font for headings and one for body text (or just one for both). If you use two, make sure they complement each other.

• Use standard styles – Avoid underlining, shadows, and other fancy frills. Stick to regular, bold, and italic. Less is more.

• Keep line length in check – Long lines are hard to follow. Keep lines between 50-75 characters for best readability.

• Don‘t overuse bold or italic – Use them sparingly to make important details pop, not to drown out the rest of your text.

• Align text to the left – Centered and justified text can be hard to read. A standard right-ragged format is best.

• Mind your file format – If you‘re emailing your resume, send a PDF. This ensures your formatting stays put in any program. Avoid Word docs, which can display differently on different systems.

By combining a stellar font with sharp formatting, you can create a resume that‘s both polished and easy to scan. At the end of the day, that‘s what recruiters really care about.

As an engineer, I‘m a big proponent of testing, even when it comes to design. Try a few different fonts and show them to friends and colleagues to get feedback. You might be surprised by what you learn.

Key Takeaways

• Your resume font might seem trivial, but it has a big impact on your first impression.
• The wrong font can make you look childish, lazy, or out-of-touch. The right one can set you apart as a consummate professional.
• The best resume fonts are clear, readable, and appropriate for your industry and niche.
• When in doubt, you can‘t go wrong with a modern sans serif (Calibri, Helvetica) or a classic serif (Georgia, Garamond).
• Your font formatting is just as important as the font itself. Use size, contrast, and spacing to draw in the reader‘s eye.

Employers review hundreds of resumes for every open role. With a thoughtfully chosen, well-formatted font, yours will stand out in exactly the right way. It might seem like a tiny detail, but it could mean the difference between scoring an interview and getting lost in the pile.

In my decades as a full-stack developer and technical hiring manager, I‘ve found that small choices can have a big impact on your career trajectory. By taking resume font seriously, you show that you‘re serious about the job. And that speaks volumes.