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What’s the Best Font for CV Writing?

Aaron Case | By | Reviewed by Samuel Johns, CPRW

Whether you want to find the ideal CV font or simply pick a good one and move on, we have you covered. Here’s a list of the top CV fonts, how to choose the best one, what size to use, and how to apply special formatting.

Featured image for our best font for CV article, image implements different lettered fonts like Helvetica and Times New Roman

Best fonts for any CV

Any font that’s professional and easy to read is good to use for writing your CV. But to save you hours sifting through the acceptable options in your word processor, here’s a list of the 10 most-recommended CV fonts that work for any job application:

A list of examples of the best font for CV writing.
These fonts are all good choices to use for your CV.

How to choose the best font for your CV

Optimise your CV font choice based on whether your CV is:

Good fonts for traditional CVs

Serif fonts (like Georgia and Garamond) feature small flourishes at the ends of the letters. These traditional fonts are your best bet if you’re applying to a company in a formal industry such as business and finance, academia, or health care.

Below are the five best serif fonts for your CV, illustrated by a CV hobbies and interests section:

1. Garamond

A screenshot of a CV work experience section using Garamond to illustrate the best font for CV writing.

2. Cambria

A screenshot of a CV hobbies and interests section using Cambria to illustrate the best font for CV writing.

3. Times New Roman

A screenshot of a CV hobbies and interests section using Times New Roman to illustrate the best font for CV writing.

4. Georgia

A screenshot of a CV hobbies and interests section using Georgia to illustrate the best font for CV writing.

5. Didot

A screenshot of a CV hobbies and interests section using Didot to illustrate the best font for CV writing.

Great fonts for creative or modern CVs

If you’re applying for a job in a modern industry, such as a tech, entertainment, or creative position, use a sans serif font.

Sans serif fonts don’t have a curl at the end of letters, giving them a clean, modern look. Here are the top five sans serif fonts applied to a CV work experience section:

1. Calibri

A screenshot of a CV work experience section using Calibri to illustrate best font for CV writing.

2. Arial

A screenshot of a CV work experience section using Arial to illustrate the best font for CV writing.

3. Helvetica

A screenshot of a CV work experience section using Helvetica to illustrate the best font for CV writing.

4. Trebuchet MS

A screenshot of a CV work experience section using Trebuchet MS to illustrate the best font for CV writing.

5. Tahoma

A screenshot of a CV work experience section using Tahoma to illustrate the best font for CV writing.

Optimised fonts for digital and hard-copy CVs

Here are the best fonts for four types of digital and hard-copy CVs:

1. Best fonts for a CV attached to an email

Sans serif fonts are easier to read on a screen than serif fonts are. However, it’s still best to use serif fonts on CVs sent for jobs in traditional industries, and sans serif fonts for modern CVs.

If you’re emailing a CV to a traditional company, we recommend using Georgia, which was ‘tailored for on-screen display,’ per Microsoft.

For emailed non-traditional CVs, pick your favourite sans serif font.

2. Good fonts for a CV uploaded to an online application

When you upload your CV to an online application portal, assume it will go through an applicant tracking system (ATS). An ATS automatically filters applications, and it has a difficult time reading non-traditional fonts.

The best fonts for getting your application past an ATS are Arial and Times New Roman — a serif font (Times New Roman) for formal applications and a sans serif font (Arial) for CVs for less traditional firms.

3. Easy-to-read fonts for printed CVs

When you print your CV, use a serif font. Serif fonts are easier to read on paper than sans serif fonts are.

Cambria is especially printer-friendly because it’s easy to read at small sizes. Such size flexibility is important if you’re trying to trim your CV length so the employer doesn’t have to shuffle through multiple pages.

If your CV easily fits on one page, Georgia, Times New Roman, Didot, and Garamond are also good printing options.

4. Efficient fonts for CVs with excess white space

The font you choose can help you remove unwanted blank space that appears when your CV is too short or too long.

If your CV spills onto the top of a new page, use one of these space-saving fonts to pull the extra text back onto the previous page:

  • Serif fonts for traditional and printed CVs: Cambria, Garamond, or Times New Roman
  • Sans serif fonts for creative CVs: Arial Narrow or Calibri

However, if you don’t have enough experience to fill a one-page CV, pad it with these large fonts:

  • Serif fonts for traditional and printed CVs: Georgia or Didot
  • Sans serif fonts for creative CVs: Trebuchet MS or Tahoma

What font size to use for your CV

The standard font size for the headings and body text of your CV is between 10.5 and 12.

However, your CV’s header is an exception to the rule. Your header should include your name in extra-large text so it stands out to the employer. Also, you can use a sub-10.5 font size for your contact information to ensure your header isn’t too bulky.

Here’s an example of a CV header with proper font sizing:

A screenshot of a CV header to illustrate the best font for CV writing.
Make your name stand out to the employer with extra-large text.

CV font formatting do’s and don’ts

When you format your CV, keep these font style tips in mind:

  • Do use bold text to make headers and important data stand out.
  • Do consider using italics for subheadings to create a clear hierarchy in your CV layout.
  • Do remember to proofread your CV every time you change the font to meet different submission needs. You may need to fix off-kilter formatting caused by variations in font types.
  • Don’t try to make your CV stand out with crazy colours. If you want to add a splash of colour to your application, find a CV template with hues chosen by a professional designer to maintain readability.
  • Don’t worry about finding a good font pairing. If you want to use different font types on your CV, find a template that does so professionally.

More good CV fonts

If the fonts we’ve discussed don’t catch your eye, here are more great options:

Sans serif

  • Quicksand
  • Verdana
  • Gill Sans
  • Lato
  • Avenir Next

Serif

  • Book Antiqua
  • Constantia
  • Dante
  • Lora
  • PT Serif
Aaron Case

Written by Aaron Case

Aaron Case is a Content Writer & CV Expert at CV Genius & Resume Genius, where he loves writing CV and cover letter tips that give job hunters a leg up on their... more

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