Best Resume Fonts: 15 ATS-Friendly Fonts That Get Interviews (2025)
Your font choice affects whether ATS systems can read your resume—and whether recruiters want to read it. Here's the definitive guide to fonts that work.
⚡ Quick Answer
Best Overall: Calibri or Arial
Most Professional: Garamond or Georgia
Most Modern: Helvetica or Lato
Font Size: 10-12pt body, 14-16pt headers
Avoid: Comic Sans, Papyrus, decorative fonts
Why Resume Font Matters
Your font choice impacts three critical factors:
ATS Compatibility
Fancy fonts confuse ATS systems. Simple, standard fonts parse correctly every time.
Readability
Recruiters spend 6-8 seconds scanning. Clear fonts help them absorb information quickly.
Professionalism
The right font signals attention to detail. The wrong font screams "amateur."
The 15 Best ATS-Friendly Resume Fonts
🏆 Tier 1: Classic & Professional
These fonts work for any industry and pass every ATS system.
1. Calibri
Microsoft's default font since 2007
Clean, modern, and universally readable. Calibri is the safe choice that never fails.
✅ Best For:
Corporate, tech, finance, any industry
📏 Recommended Size:
11pt body, 14-16pt headers
2. Arial
The universal standard
Simple, clean, and available on every device. ATS systems parse Arial flawlessly.
✅ Best For:
When in doubt, use Arial. Works everywhere.
📏 Recommended Size:
10-11pt body, 14-16pt headers
3. Times New Roman
The traditional choice
Traditional and formal. Great for legal, academic, and government positions.
✅ Best For:
Law, academia, government, publishing
⚠️ Note:
Can look outdated for tech/startup roles
4. Georgia
Elegant serif font
More modern than Times New Roman while maintaining professionalism. Highly readable on screens.
✅ Best For:
Publishing, creative, editorial, senior roles
📏 Recommended Size:
11pt body, 15-17pt headers
5. Garamond
Sophisticated and timeless
Elegant and space-efficient. Perfect for fitting more content without looking cramped.
✅ Best For:
Executive, consulting, luxury brands
💡 Pro Tip:
Great for fitting 2 pages into 1
✨ Tier 2: Modern & Clean
Contemporary fonts for tech, startups, and creative industries.
6. Helvetica
The gold standard of modern design. Clean, minimalist, professional.
⚠️ Not pre-installed on Windows—use Arial as alternative
7. Cambria
Modern serif designed for on-screen reading. More contemporary than Times New Roman.
✅ Best For: Finance, consulting, professional services
8. Verdana
Designed for screen readability. Wide spacing makes it easy to scan quickly.
⚠️ Note: Takes up more space—may require smaller font size
9. Trebuchet MS
Friendly and approachable. Good for customer-facing roles and creative fields.
✅ Best For: Marketing, HR, customer success, non-profits
10. Didot
High-end and elegant. Makes a statement without being unprofessional.
✅ Best For: Fashion, luxury brands, executive roles, design
🎯 Tier 3: Safe Alternatives
These work well but are less common. Use if you want to stand out slightly.
11. Lato
Modern, friendly, great for tech
12. Book Antiqua
Similar to Palatino, elegant
13. Tahoma
Compact, good for tight spaces
14. Century Gothic
Modern, geometric, creative fields
15. Gill Sans
British classic, sophisticated
Resume Font Size Guide
📝 Body Text: 10-12pt
- • 10pt: Use if you need to fit a lot (minimum readable size)
- • 11pt: Sweet spot for most resumes
- • 12pt: Best for serif fonts or older recruiters
🔤 Headers/Name: 14-18pt
- • Your name: 16-18pt (largest element)
- • Section headers: 14-16pt
- • Job titles: 11-12pt (or same as body, but bold)
ℹ️ Contact Info: 9-10pt
- • Slightly smaller than body text is fine
- • Never go below 9pt (ATS struggles to read it)
Fonts to AVOID
❌ Comic Sans
Instant rejection. Looks unprofessional and childish. Never use it. Ever.
❌ Papyrus
Decorative and hard to read. Screams "I made this in 2005."
❌ Brush Script / Cursive Fonts
Illegible and unprofessional. ATS can't read cursive fonts at all.
❌ Impact / Heavy Fonts
Too bold and aggressive. Looks like you're shouting at the recruiter.
❌ Decorative/Display Fonts
Anything with swirls, shadows, or unusual styling. ATS systems can't parse them.
❌ Super Narrow Fonts
Fonts like Impact Narrow or condensed versions—hard to read and look desperate to save space.
Font Combinations (Advanced)
Want to use two fonts? Follow these rules:
✅ Good Combination: Serif Headers + Sans-Serif Body
Example: Georgia headers with Calibri body text
Creates visual hierarchy while staying professional
✅ Good Combination: Bold Sans-Serif Headers + Light Sans-Serif Body
Example: Arial Black headers with Arial Regular body
Clean and modern, works great for tech
❌ Bad Combination: Two Different Serif Fonts
Example: Times New Roman + Garamond
Looks confused and unprofessional
❌ Bad Combination: More Than 2 Fonts
Example: Three different fonts on one resume
Looks chaotic. Stick to 1-2 fonts maximum
Font Choice by Industry
💻 Tech & Startups
Best: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Lato
Modern, clean fonts signal you're current with trends
💼 Finance & Consulting
Best: Garamond, Times New Roman, Cambria
Traditional serif fonts show you respect conventions
🎨 Creative & Design
Best: Helvetica, Didot, Century Gothic
Your portfolio matters more, but font shows taste
🏛️ Law & Government
Best: Times New Roman, Garamond, Georgia
Stick with traditional—these fields value formality
🏥 Healthcare
Best: Arial, Calibri, Cambria
Clean and readable—like patient charts
🎓 Academia
Best: Times New Roman, Garamond
Academia is traditional—match the formality
Common Font Mistakes
Mistake #1: Font Too Small to Save Space
Using 8pt or 9pt font to cram everything onto one page.
Fix: Use 10-12pt. If it doesn't fit, add a second page or cut content.
Mistake #2: Mixing Too Many Fonts
Using 3-4 different fonts to "add variety."
Fix: Stick to 1 font (2 maximum). Use bold/italics for variety instead.
Mistake #3: Inconsistent Font Sizes
Random size changes throughout the resume.
Fix: Create a size hierarchy and stick to it: Name (18pt) → Headers (14pt) → Body (11pt)
Mistake #4: Using Fonts Not on Recruiter's Computer
Custom fonts that look great on your computer but break on theirs.
Fix: Stick to system fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, etc.) or embed fonts in PDF.
How to Test Your Font Choice
Before submitting, do these 3 tests:
- 1. The 6-Second Test
Open your resume and look away after 6 seconds. Could you grasp the key information? If not, your font might be too small or hard to read.
- 2. The Print Test
Print your resume. If it looks different than on screen, your font might not be standard enough.
- 3. The ATS Test
Use a free ATS scanner (like SkillStory) to check if your font parses correctly.
Final Recommendation
🎯 The Failsafe Font Formula
If you can only remember one thing:
Use Calibri 11pt for body text and 14-16pt for headers.
This works for 95% of industries, passes all ATS systems, and looks professional on any screen. When in doubt, go with Calibri.
Not Sure If Your Font is ATS-Friendly?
Upload your resume to our free scanner. We'll check if your font is readable by ATS systems and recommend changes if needed.