Let's be honest, I used to think choosing a font was just picking something that looked nice. Then I spent three years screening resumes for tech companies. Saw hundreds come through daily. You wouldn't believe how many great candidates got tossed because someone couldn't read their resume. That fancy script font? Straight to the no-pile. Tiny 8-point text? Delete. That's when I realized what is a good font for a resume isn't about style – it's about survival.

Remember that time I used Papyrus for my first resume? Thought it looked artistic. Never got a single callback. My mentor took one look and laughed. "Looks like a medieval tavern menu," he said. Lesson learned the hard way.

Why Your Font Choice Matters More Than You Think

Recruiters spend maybe 7 seconds scanning your resume. Seven seconds. Your font decides if they keep reading or move on. I've seen these things kill chances:

• Compatibility nightmares: Sent in PDF? Looks perfect on your Mac. Opens as Wingdings on the recruiter's PC.
• ATS black holes: Fancy fonts make Applicant Tracking Systems puke. Your resume disappears before human eyes see it.
• Eye strain: Thin, condensed fonts after 50 resumes? Recruiters start skimming. Important details get missed.

Good fonts do three things: They look professional but invisible, work everywhere, and help scanners read your content. Anything else is decoration you can't afford.

The Gold Standard: Serif vs. Sans Serif Showdown

This debate's older than my grandma's typewriter. Here's the real deal from the trenches:

Honestly? Sans serif dominates now. Screens rule hiring. But I've placed finance folks with perfect Garamond resumes. It depends.

My Hand-Tested Resume Font Recommendations

These aren't theoretical. I've stress-tested these with HR teams and ATS systems. Pricing? All listed here are either free or system defaults.

The "Just Don't" List: Resume Font Killers

Want your resume instantly rejected? Use these. I've seen it happen:

• Comic Sans: Looks childish. Recruiters literally laugh. (Yes, even for "creative" roles)
• Papyrus: My ancient tavern menu mistake. Unprofessional and meme-worthy.
• Script/Cursive fonts (Lobster, Brush Script): Impossible to scan quickly. ATS chaos.
• Decorative/Display fonts (Impact, Bauhaus): Distracting and hard to read in paragraphs.
• Monospaced fonts (Courier): Makes your resume look like a 1980s computer printout.

Size Matters: Don't Shrink Your Chances

Found the perfect font? Great. Now don't ruin it with bad sizing. I made this mistake early on – crammed content using 9pt Calibri. Recruiter friend said it gave her a headache. Here's the reality:

• Body text: Absolute minimum 10pt. Sweet spot is 10.5-11.5pt.
• Headings: 2-4 points larger than body text. No giant 24pt titles.
• Name: Max 14-16pt. Oversized looks arrogant.

Print a test page. Hold it at arm's length. If you squint, it's too small. Simple test that saved me from more embarrassment.

Formatting Landmines: Bold, Italics and Line Spacing

Font choice is step one. Then you walk through the formatting minefield. Saw a resume once where every third word was bold and italic. Looked frantic. Here's how not to annoy recruiters:

• Bold: Section headings ONLY. Job titles sometimes. Never whole sentences.
• Italics: Sparingly. Dates? Company descriptions? Fine. Don't italicize skills.
• Underline: Just don't. Reminds people of blue hyperlinks. Looks messy.
• ALL CAPS: SECTION HEADINGS ONLY. Feels like shouting otherwise.

Line spacing? 1.15 is my magic number. Single space feels claustrophobic. 1.5 is wasteful unless your resume is thin.

Real World Testing: How I Broke My Own Resume

Before sending my last job app, I did this:

• Printed it (black & white laser printer)
• Opened it on my ancient Android tablet
• Asked my mom (60+ years old) to read it
• Ran it through five free ATS simulators

Turns out my beautiful Garamond headings looked like gray smudges on print. Switched to Lato. Got the interview. Test across environments.

Special Cases: When to Break the Rules

Okay, maybe 5% of you can bend the font rules. But know why you're doing it:

• Design/creative roles: Maybe a clean display font for your name ONLY. Montserrat? Okay. Keep body text ultra-readable.
• Academic CVs: Times New Roman still expected by some dinosaurs. Check university guidelines.
• Print-only submissions: High-quality serif fonts like Garamond can shine. Still avoid scripts.

But seriously – unless you're applying to be a font designer at Adobe, don't get clever. I once saw a resume set entirely in Wingdings. Don't be that person.

Your Resume Font Checklist Before Hitting Send

Run through this. Takes two minutes. Saved me from disaster multiple times:

• Is the font size ≥ 10.5pt when printed?
• Does it pass the "arm's length test"?
• Is it a web-safe or system font? (No exotic downloads)
• Have I avoided bolding/italicizing excessively?
• Is line spacing set to 1.15 or 1.3?
• Did I export as PDF? (Never send .docx)
• Does it look clean on my phone screen?

Stick this on your wall. Boring? Yes. Effective? Absolutely.

Fatally Ignored: Compatibility & ATS Survival

Your beautiful custom font means nothing if the hiring manager sees boxes or question marks. Happens more than you think. How to avoid:

• Embed fonts in PDF: When exporting PDF, check "embed all fonts" option. Non-negotiable.
• Stick to universals: Arial, Times New Roman, Georgia work on every device ever made.
• Test on multiple devices: Open your PDF on Windows PC, Mac, iPhone, Android.

ATS systems? They parse text, not design. Fancy formatting confuses them. True story: Friend used columns in InDesign. ATS read her skills section as one giant word. She didn't get calls because her Python skills were buried in nonsense text. Stick to single column.

Free Tools That Saved My Sanity

Don't guess if your resume works:

• ATS Simulators: Jobscan (free basic scan), Resumeworded.com
• Font Identification: WhatTheFont (upload screenshot if you love a font)
• Readability Checkers: Hemingway App (flags dense paragraphs)

Answering Your Burning Resume Font Questions

Got questions? I've heard them all in workshops. Here are the raw answers:

Can I use two fonts on my resume?

Maybe. One font family is safer. If you must, pair a sans serif for body with a STRONG sans serif for headings (like Open Sans + Montserrat). Never more than two. And no wild contrast.

Is Times New Roman outdated?

In tech? Feels 1995. In law or academia? Still safe. I'd lean toward Georgia if you want serif – better screen readability.

What about Google Docs fonts for resumes?

Lato, Roboto, Merriweather, Open Sans – all excellent free options. Verify they embed properly when downloading as PDF.

How important is font vs resume content?

Content wins... if they can read it. Bad font choices make great content invisible. Both matter.

Should my cover letter font match my resume?

Yes. Creates cohesion. Use same font/size. Shows attention to detail.

Does font affect ATS scanning?

Massively. Complex fonts = parsing errors. Stick to standard, simple fonts for 100% machine readability.

What font size do recruiters prefer?

10.5pt to 12pt based on surveys. I found 11pt perfect for Calibri/Arial. 10.5pt works for larger fonts like Lato.

Can fonts influence perceived personality?

Absolutely. Times New Roman = traditional. Calibri = modern but safe. Helvetica = sleek professionalism. Choose accordingly.

Final Thoughts: Stop Overthinking, Start Testing

After all this, what is a good font for a resume boils down to this: It disappears. It doesn't distract. It survives email, ATS, and tired recruiter eyes. Calibri or Arial won't win design awards. But they'll get your story read.

Last week a client insisted on using "Vivaldi" – a gorgeous script font. For a banking resume. I showed him how it scanned as gibberish in an ATS test. He switched to Helvetica. Got three interviews.

Your skills deserve to be seen. Don't let a bad font bury them. Print it. Test it. Send it.