Choosing a font for your resume: readability before decoration

Start with a readable family

The builder includes Lato, Helvetica, Times-Roman, and Courier for document text. Lato and Helvetica offer straightforward sans-serif options; Times-Roman gives a traditional serif style. Courier uses fixed-width characters and can consume more space. Compare a paragraph and a bullet list in the actual PDF before choosing.

Use size to create hierarchy

Make your name and section headings distinct, then keep body text comfortable to read. Start around 10–12 points for body text and adjust for the font, content, and page format. This is a practical starting range, not an ATS requirement. Avoid squeezing a long work history into one page by making every line tiny.

Keep emphasis predictable

Use bold for section headings or job titles and reserve italics for occasional secondary information. Avoid switching fonts between every section. Make dates and employers easy to distinguish without relying entirely on color. Check the document in grayscale if you expect it to be printed.

Test the exported document

Download the PDF and inspect it at normal size. Confirm characters display correctly, links are readable, and text can be selected. If the employer requests DOCX, use that format and recheck the editable layout. A font alone does not make a document ATS-compatible or guarantee correct parsing.

Sources and further reading

These independent resources provide general context. Resumv's wording and fictional examples are original teaching material, not quotations or an endorsement by these organizations.

• CareerOneStop: resume formatting
• CareerOneStop: work experience
• CareerOneStop: education