# Best font for a resume / CV? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 3, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908 "2008-11-03T19:29:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/1 "2008-11-03T19:29:13Z")
Which fonts should I use for my CV? Should I use a different one for the printed version than the on-screen version? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/2 "2008-11-03T20:14:55Z")
Something legible. In the case of an online version, unless you’re packaging fonts into a PDF, stick with the ones that are pretty well guaranteed to be on the viewer’s PC - Verdana or Arial if you like sans-serif or Georgia or Times New Roman if you like serif faces. Anything else is apt to be unavailable on the viewer’s PC, and will be auto-substituted by their browser or word processor. It will still be readable, but the layout will probably change a bit. Don’t even think about using Comic Sans. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/3 "2008-11-03T20:20:08Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Something legible. In the case of an online version, unless you’re packaging fonts into a PDF, stick with the ones that are pretty well guaranteed to be on the viewer’s PC - Verdana or Arial if you like sans-serif or Georgia or Times New Roman if you like serif faces. > > Anything else is apt to be unavailable on the viewer’s PC, and will be auto-substituted by their browser or word processor. It will still be readable, but the layout will probably change a bit. > > Don’t even think about using Comic Sans. Ditto - I’ll add don’t use anything that jumps off the page and singles your resume out as the one who used ‘wingdings’ or ‘papyrus’. Sell yourself, not your resume. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/4 "2008-11-03T21:27:03Z")
Depends upon your industry. If you’re in graphic arts or advertising, you can probably get away with a little more than if you’re, say, an attorney. Either way, what everyone else said: make sure it’s legible and neat-looking. And when I mean “neat-looking,” I mean doesn’t look like a word processor vomited on the page, but I guess that’s mostly a content & formatting issue by then. For what it’s worth, I usually stick to plain Times New Roman font. Arial Narrow can look nice, but it’s easy for it to look too small. And plain Arial can look really clunky. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/5 "2008-11-03T21:54:13Z")
Times New Roman. And for the love of God, not Courier. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/6 "2008-11-03T22:05:02Z")
Wingdings. Definitely; wingdings.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/7 "2008-11-03T22:07:29Z")
Mine are done in [Book Antiqua/Palatino](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_Antiqua). To my way of thinking, it’s classier and more distinctive than Times New Roman. If I have to use a sans-serif font, I like [Century Gothic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_Gothic) for the same reason. Since I generally send PDFs of my resumes wherever possible, layout and type style aren’t issues. (PDFs can’t be modified easily, and they don’t have the compatibility problems that Word has.) Robin ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/8 "2008-11-04T00:47:32Z")
I have heard that your best readability is Times New Roman. I’d just stick with the classic. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/9 "2008-11-04T01:22:11Z")
I’m rather fond of [Palatino Linotype](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatino), because I think it’s about the easiest font to read I’ve ever seen. It kerns well no matter what font size I use, it looks fabulous in **bold** , \*italic \*and _ **bold italic** _, and I think it just has a classy look to it. I even use it on my phone because I’m farsighted and it’s a font I can read without my reading glasses on. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/10 "2008-11-04T02:10:26Z")
For a serif font, I have always liked Garamond, though I would not depend on it being on someone’s machine. That’s why I like PDFs so much. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/11 "2008-11-04T02:20:57Z")
Why the hate for Comic Sans? Not that I’d use it on a resume, mind you, but as soon as I saw the thread I thought someone would mention it. It has something of a reputation or whatnot as a … oh, I don’t know, unprofessional or amateur. Again, it’s one thing to note that it’s too casual for business correspondence, but why the general derision in the graphic arts community? ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/12 "2008-11-04T04:00:35Z")
Flag! Mailbox, paper star star! Mailbox. [Open mailbox](http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1823766). ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/13 "2008-11-04T04:24:59Z")
Fraktur 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/14 "2008-11-04T04:28:28Z")
Another vote for Times New Roman. It will have absolutely no impact on the reader, which is what you want. I think sans serif fonts are less formal, btw. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/15 "2008-11-04T09:31:55Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Why the hate for Comic Sans? > _snip_ > but why the general derision in the graphic arts community? Because it’s overused by amateurs, and therefore has become the cliché as the utmost in amateur. Professionals know to never use it. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/16 "2008-11-04T15:03:13Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Because it’s overused by amateurs, and therefore has become the cliché as the utmost in amateur. Professionals know to never use it. So it’s kind of an art snob sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/17 "2008-11-04T15:07:43Z")
I personally like Arial as my basic font, but you want extreme readability in a resume, and serif fonts are more readable because of their curvy nature - the curves of the letters naturally lead the eye to the next letter. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/18 "2008-11-04T15:32:51Z")
Does anybody know someone who didn’t get an interview because they selected the wrong standard font for their resume? Or the wrong type of paper that was the wrong shade of off-white? Or any other number of reasons separate from the content of the resume and how well it was written? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/19 "2008-11-04T15:53:43Z")
Times New Roman is OK for the body copy, but it looks _awful_ when used for headings, especially at large sizes and all-caps. (It also screams “I am incapable of changing even the most basic default settings on my word processor.”) Use a simple sans-serif font such as Arial or Helvetica for headings, and don’t underline them. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908/20 "2008-11-04T16:36:01Z")
I see a lot of resumes from college students. I don’t know why it is, but it seems that the least qualified all use sans-serif fonts. I dunno why, but it is a pattern I’ve noticed. It’s enough that sans-serif resumes make me lose interest right away. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-font-for-a-resume-cv/470908.md?page=2)