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What's the Best Font for Your CV? (Type, Size, & Formatting)

Seb Morgan | By | Reviewed by Samuel Johns, CPRW

What’s the best font for a CV? We take a look at how to make the right first impression on employers with a look at 15 professional fonts and how to size and format them effectively.

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A job applicant choosing between the best fonts for a CV

Your font significantly influences how your application looks to the employer and is a crucial CV formatting decision.

But that doesn’t mean you need to spend hours sifting through different options in your word processor.

To help you make the right font choice and write a CV that looks as good as it reads, we’ve compiled 15 widely compatible fonts your potential employer will appreciate and outlined how to size and style your text so no detail gets lost in the formatting.

A comparison between a dull cover letter and an eye-catching CV, with a button that leads to the CV Genius CV maker.

What’s the best font for a CV?

The best font for any CV will be a widely-used style with clean, simple lettering. Cambria, Georgia, and Verdana are some good examples.

Here are our top tips for making the best font choices:

  1. Use a black, 10–12 point font for the main content of your CV
  2. Make your name up to 30 points in size so it catches the employer’s attention
  3. Bold section headings and make them bigger than the main text
  4. Use traditional serif fonts (aka ‘curly’ fonts like Times New Roman), for formal employers, such as law firms and financial institutions
  5. Choose a simplified sans serif font (like Arial) to give your CV a more modern look

15 professional CV fonts for 2024

The specific font type that you choose will influence your CV’s appearance. If you choose wisely, it’ll also help you align your application with the company culture.

These 15 CV fonts will work for most job applications and help you add a degree of personality to your application while maintaining your professionalism.

To help you make the right selection, we’ve also specified

  1. whether each font is sans serif (straight) or serif (curly)
  2. which word processors readily include the font
  3. where you can download the font if it’s not available by default
A simple visual example showing the differences between a sans serif font and a serif font
Serif fonts are considered more ‘classic’, whereas sans serifs are more ‘modern’.

1. Cambria

An example of a black serif CV font, Cambria. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Cambria is a serif font that Microsoft released in 2004.

This versatile font can be used in both body text and headers. Cambria has a classic, small serif design that makes it easy to read, even on small screens.

  • Font type: Serif
  • Default font on: Microsoft Word, Google Docs
  • Cambria is not open source, but you can download Source Serif 4, a similar style, from Google Fonts

2. Didot

An example of a black serif CV font, Didot. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Designed in the 18th century, Didot is still widely used today in high-end publications such as books, magazines and newspapers.

Didot can give a polished touch to a CV, which is especially useful for applicants in fashion, art, and design industries. It’s tall, elegant letterforms look particularly good in headings and subheadings.

  • Font type: Serif
  • Default font on: Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages
  • Download from: Google Fonts

3. Georgia

An example of a black serif CV font, Georgia. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Named after the Canadian newspaper The Georgia Straight and made for newspaper prints, Georgia later became a core font for Microsoft.

Georgia comes as a default font on many computers, so applying this font to your CV means employers can scan your documents with no issues.

  • Font type: Serif
  • Default font on: Microsoft Word, Pages
  • Georgia is not open source, but you can download Tinos, a similar style, from Google Fonts

4. Garamond

An example of a black serif CV font, Garamond. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Garamond has a long history of being used in printed materials and books since the 16th century, making it suitable for fields (e.g., law, finance, education and research) where credibility and readability are important.

  • Font type: Serif
  • Default font on: Microsoft Word, Google Docs
  • Download from: Google Fonts

5. Times New Roman

An example of a black serif CV font, Times New Roman. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Times New Roman is a serif font that was designed in 1931 for The Times newspaper in London. It’s now one of the most widely used fonts in the world.

Considered one of the standard fonts for CVs and cover letter writing, Times New Roman is highly legible in small sizes so it’ll help you save space as you’re making your CV.

  • Font type: Serif
  • Default font on: Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages
  • Times New Roman is not open source, but you can download Gupter, a similar style, from Google Fonts

6. Arial

An example of a black sans serif CV font, Arial. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Arial is one of the most popular choices for CV writing in the UK. One of the first fonts to appear in Google Docs and Microsoft Word, Arial is suitable for a wide range of industries, from marketing to hospitality.

  • Font type: Sans serif
  • Default font on: Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages
  • Arial is not open source, but you can download Arimo, a similar style, from Google Fonts

7. Calibri

An example of a black sans serif CV font, Calibri. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Calibri is another modern font that’s highly readable on screen and in print. Calibri was introduced in 2007 as the default font for Microsoft Office, so it’s a popular choice for business and finance roles.

  • Font type: Sans serif
  • Default font on: Microsoft Word, Google Docs
  • Calibri is not open source, but you can download Open Sans, a similar style, from Google Fonts

8. Helvetica

An example of a black sans serif CV font, Helvetica. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Helvetica is one of the most widely used typefaces in the UK and featured in a number of international logos and branding campaigns (including BMW and even NASA).

A good CV font to use because of its simple and minimalistic design, Helvetica’s straight lines, and rounded shapes make text appear neat and legible.

  • Font type: Sans serif
  • Default font on: Microsoft Word, Pages
  • Helvetica is not open source, but you can download Roboto, a similar style, from Google Fonts

9. Lato

An example of a black sans serif CV font, Lato. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Lato is a sans serif font that was designed in 2010. This typeface has rounded shapes and slightly curved lines, making it suitable for both headings and long-form text.

Lato’s elegant and professional look can help you create a polished CV that employers will enjoy reading.

  • Font type: Sans serif
  • Default font on: Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages
  • Download from: Google Fonts

10. Trebuchet MS

An example of a black sans serif CV font, Trebuchet MS. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Trebuchet MS was designed in 1996 for use on the web. Trebuchet MS is known for its slightly wider letters, which makes it more legible on lower-resolution screens.

This sans serif font has been optimised for both digital and print use, making it a great font choice for your CV.

  • Font type: Sans serif
  • Default font on: Microsoft Word, Pages
  • Trebuchet MS is not open source, but you can download Fira Sans, a similar style, from Google Fonts

11. Inter

An example of a black sans serif CV font, Inter. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Inter is a versatile and modern font known for its excellent readability on both digital screens and in print.

A great choice for CVs, using Inter can give your application a clean look suitable for a wide range of industries and employers.

  • Font type: Sans serif
  • Default font on: Google Docs
  • Download from: Google Fonts

12. Poppins

An example of a black sans serif CV font, Poppins. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

With its curved, geometric design, Poppins is a modern font with a little extra personality. Tall lowercase lettering makes this font easy to read even in small text sizes. As a result, Poppins is a great choice for body text or smaller-sized subheaders.

  • Font type: Sans serif
  • Default font on: Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages
  • Download from: Google Fonts

13. Palatino

An example of a black serif CV font, Palatino. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Based on the type forms of the Italian Renaissance, Palatino has a timeless look that can help you emphasise professionalism on your CV.

Decorative flourishes at the end of the main letter strokes (such as the ‘Q’) contribute to Palatino’s refined and elegant appearance. This font looks great in body text but can also work for your CV’s subheadings.

  • Font type: Serif
  • Default font on: Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages
  • Palatino is not open source, but you can download URW Palladio, a free version, from Fontesk

14. Noto Sans

An example of a black sans serif CV font, Noto Sans. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Boasting impressive multilingual accessibility, Noto Sans was designed to correctly render characters in a vast number of scripts, including Latin, Cyrillic, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and Hebrew.

This open-source font was designed to be highly readable in a wide range of applications, with slightly wide yet straightforward lettering that still looks clear in small text sizes.

  • Font type: Sans serif
  • Default font on: Google Docs, Pages
  • Download from: Google Fonts

15. Montserrat

An example of a black sans serif CV font, Montserrat. The name of the font is underlined above a short work experience entry that demonstrates what the bolded, italicised, and regular versions of the font look like.

Inspired by the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of the same name, Montserrat has a clean design, characterised by straight lines and circular shapes.

The uppercase and lowercase letterforms of this font are wideset yet balanced, improving readability and contributing to a distinctive, contemporary appearance.

  • Font type: Serif
  • Default font on: Google Docs, Pages
  • Download from: Google Fonts

What’s the best CV font size?

The best CV font size for standard body text should be between 10 and 12 points. Subheadings can be slightly larger — normally 13–14 points is best.

For the header of your CV, which should include your name, use a larger font size (28–35 points) so it stands out, and then use a regular body text size for your contact details.

Additionally, when you’re formatting the body text of your CV, remember that fonts vary in width and spacing, which means that some fonts will take up more space on your CV even if they’re the same font size.

Serif fonts usually have slightly smaller lowercase letters than sans serif fonts, so you may want to use a slightly larger font size if you’re using a serif font.

These are the recommended font sizes from our list of top 15 CV fonts:

Font NameFont Size
Cambria11–12
Didot10.5–12
Georgia10.5–11
Garamond12–12.5
Times New Roman11–12
Arial10.5–11
Calibri11–12
Helvetica10.5–11
Lato10.5–11
Trebuchet MS10–11
Inter10–11
Poppins9.5–10.5
Palatino10.5–11.5
Noto Sans9.5–10.5
Montserrat9.5–10.5

3 tips for formatting your fonts professionally

Correct font formatting will make your CV look balanced and professional — and it’s not all that tricky to get right. Here are three font formatting tips that’ll help your CV make a great first impression on the employer.

1. Use a more creative font for headers and a simple font for body text

Using a different font for your CV header and section headers creates visual contrast and is a great way to convey your design skills. Your name will stand out more to the employer, and your sections will be easier to skim for key information.

Create a cohesive look by choosing two CV fonts that complement each other.

A popular approach is to choose a sans-serif font (e.g., Lato, Poppins, or Montserrat) for the CV and section headers and a serif font (e.g., Times New Roman, Cambria, Palatino) for the main text. The sans serif headers will make your CV layout look clean and well-structured, while the serif font will emphasise your professionalism.

A personal statement demonstrating how serif and sans serif fonts look when paired together. The section heading uses the sans serif font Inter, while the main text uses the serif font Georgia.
This personal statement uses Inter and Georgia.

2. Bold or italicise subheadings

Bold or italicise your subheadings to highlight additional information and make longer CV sections easier to scan for information.

There’s no specific rule for bolding and italicising your CV. One good approach is to bold the start of each work experience and education entry (normally the job/degree title) to improve readability.

You can also use italics when you include additional information within a work experience or education entry (e.g., you add a relevant modules header to your CV education section).

An example of professional CV font formatting, which shows a serif section header and sans serif education section with bolding and italics to highlight key information.

3.  Stick to subtle font colours

Black fonts look most professional on CVs, especially for body text. If you want to add a little colour to your CV design, then you can change the colour of your CV and section headers. Pick subtle hues like navy blue or maroon. You don’t want the employer to think your CV looks flashy and unprofessional.

A CV font example with a maroon header and black body text, which shows how you can use subtle colours in your header font.

Seb Morgan

Written by Seb Morgan

Seb Morgan is a Careers Coach and Digital Content Writer for CV Genius, where he helps job seekers and professionals get more out of their careers. With over 7 years of... more

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