What is the best font for a resume?
The best font for a resume is one that is easy to read on a screen and on paper, installed on most computers, and plain enough that nobody notices it. Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Georgia and Garamond all meet that test.
Sans-serif fonts, which have no small strokes at the ends of letters, look modern and read well on screens. Serif fonts look more traditional and suit law, finance and academic jobs. Either type is fine as long as it is clean and consistent.
| Font | Style | Body text size | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calibri | Sans-serif | 11 pt | Almost any job |
| Arial | Sans-serif | 10.5 to 11 pt | Any job; available on nearly every computer |
| Helvetica | Sans-serif | 10.5 to 11 pt | Design, tech, marketing |
| Lato | Sans-serif | 10.5 to 11 pt | Federal resumes, tech, startups |
| Verdana | Sans-serif | 10 pt | Screen reading; runs wide, so size it down |
| Georgia | Serif | 10.5 to 11 pt | Law, finance, education |
| Cambria | Serif | 11 pt | Finance, consulting, government |
| Garamond | Serif | 11.5 to 12 pt | Academia, publishing; runs small, so size it up |
| Times New Roman | Serif | 11 to 12 pt | Law, academia; safe but a little dated |
Fonts to avoid include Comic Sans, Papyrus, script or handwriting styles, ultra-thin or condensed weights, and any font you had to download. If you send a Word file with a font the reader does not have, their computer swaps in a different one and your layout can shift.
What font do federal resumes use?
For jobs on USAJOBS, the Office of Personnel Management’s agency guidance shares the USAJOBS Help Center recommendations. They suggest a sans-serif font such as Lato, with Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto and Noto Sans as other options. They also suggest 14-point titles, 10-point main text, 0.5-inch margins and saving the resume as a PDF.
What size font should a resume be?
Use 10 to 12 points for body text, with 11 points as a safe default. Go larger for your name and headings so the reader can scan the page.
| Resume element | Recommended size | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Your name | 18 to 22 pt | Bold |
| Section headings | 12 to 14 pt | Bold or all caps |
| Job titles | 11 to 12 pt | Bold |
| Body text and bullets | 10 to 12 pt | Regular |
| Contact line | 10 to 11 pt | Regular |
Never shrink body text below 10 points to squeeze onto one page. If your resume runs long, cut content instead. Our guide on how long a resume should be shows what to trim first.
What margins should a resume have?
Standard resume margins are 1 inch on all four sides. You can go as small as 0.5 inch if you need more room, which is also what USAJOBS recommends for federal resumes. Below half an inch, the page looks crowded and printers may cut off text.
Keep the margins equal on all sides. If you adjust, reduce the top and bottom slightly before touching the left and right.
To change margins:
- Microsoft Word: Layout, then Margins. Choose Normal for 1 inch, Narrow for 0.5 inch, or Custom Margins.
- Google Docs: File, then Page setup, then enter the margins in inches.
How should you space a resume?
White space makes a resume easier to scan. Use these spacing rules:
- Line spacing of 1.0 to 1.15 for body text.
- A little extra space above each section heading, about 6 to 12 points.
- Left-aligned text. Full justification creates uneven gaps between words.
- 3 to 5 bullets per recent job, each one or two lines long.
- Dates in the same spot for every entry, either right-aligned or after a vertical bar.
- One column. Two-column layouts can confuse hiring software and waste space.
Should you send your resume as a PDF or Word document?
Send a PDF by default. It looks the same on every device. Send a Word file (.docx) when the job posting, application system or recruiter asks for one.
| Word (.docx) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Keeps your layout | Yes, on any device | Can shift with missing fonts or different versions |
| Readable by hiring software | Usually, if it is text-based | Yes |
| Easy for a recruiter to edit | No | Yes |
| When to use it | Email and most online applications | When the employer asks for Word |
Always export your PDF from Word or Google Docs so the text stays selectable. Never send a scanned copy or an image of your resume. A quick test: open the PDF and try to highlight a line of text. If you cannot select it, hiring software probably cannot read it either.
Name the file with your name, such as “Jordan-Lee-Resume.pdf,” so it is easy to find in a recruiter’s downloads folder.
Chronological vs functional vs hybrid resume format
The resume format you choose decides how your experience is organized on the page.
| Format | How it is organized | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reverse chronological | Jobs listed newest first, with bullets under each | Most people with steady experience in their field | Gaps and short jobs are easy to see |
| Functional (skills-based) | Experience grouped by skill, with a short work history | Career changers, long gaps, first jobs | Recruiters may distrust missing dates |
| Hybrid (combination) | Summary and skills up top, then full job history | Experienced career changers, varied backgrounds | Can run long if skills repeat your bullets |
Start with reverse chronological unless you have a clear reason not to. If your job titles do not match the work you want, read our guide to the skills-based resume to see if a functional or hybrid layout fits better.
What does a well-formatted resume look like?
Here is the top of a fictional resume with the format settings noted in parentheses. Notice how few styles it uses: one font, three sizes, bold for emphasis and nothing else.
JORDAN LEE (Calibri, 20 pt, bold)
Columbus, OH | (614) 555-0142 | jordan.lee@example.com | linkedin.com/in/jordanlee-example (10.5 pt)
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY (12 pt, bold caps, 10 pt of space above)
Operations coordinator with 5 years of experience scheduling freight for a regional distribution center. Skilled in dock scheduling, Excel reporting and carrier communication. Cut detention fees 25% in one year. (11 pt, single spaced)
EXPERIENCE
Operations Coordinator, Northwind Logistics, Columbus, OH | Mar 2023 - Present (bold title, dates after a vertical bar)
- Schedule 40+ inbound trucks a day across two docks
- Moved appointment booking to a shared calendar, cutting detention fees 25%
SKILLS
Dock scheduling, inventory control, Microsoft Excel, SAP, carrier relations (plain text, separated by commas)
The rest of the page follows the same pattern, with education and any certifications at the bottom. Consistency matters more than any single setting. If one job title is bold, every job title should be bold.
ATS-safe resume formatting checklist
Applicant tracking systems read your resume into fields such as name, job title and skills. Simple formatting gives them the best chance of getting it right. Check each item before you apply:
- One-column layout, with no tables or text boxes holding main content
- Contact details in the main body, not in the Word header or footer area; see these resume header examples
- Standard section headings such as Summary, Experience, Skills and Education; our guide to the parts of a resume lists them
- One common font at 10 to 12 points for body text
- Simple round or square bullets
- No photos, icons, logos, charts or skill rating bars
- The same date format everywhere, such as “Mar 2023 - Present”
- Abbreviations spelled out once, such as “Certified Public Accountant (CPA)”
- Keywords from the job posting, checked with our ATS keyword checker
- A text-based PDF, or a Word file if the employer asks for one
- A file name that includes your full name
Should your resume use color?
A single accent color for your name or section headings is fine, as long as the text stays dark and easy to read. Keep the background white and the body text black or dark gray. Many resumes still get printed, often in black and white, so color should never carry meaning on its own.
If you work in a creative field, show your design skills in a portfolio and keep the resume itself clean.