Top 10 Resume Tip – Font size people can read!

This may sound obvious to some of my readers but using the right resume font size is critical to getting your resume read. The problem is twofold.

1. Some people are still convinced the one-page resume is what they need. They try to squish everything on one page.
2. Secondly, some assume it takes no effort for the reader to blow up the resume to a more readable size on a computer. This is a dangerous assumption!

Wrong on both accounts! Resume font size matters!

If your resume shows your value and accomplishments, it will probably not fit on one page. Additionally, anytime you ask someone to do something extra to read your resume, you risk them moving on to the next candidate.

Don’t tell me you have all the credentials for the job and they are in the resume if you created it in 7 point font. No one will read it.

No one will read your resume if the resume font size is too small

I find that 10 or 11 point resume font size works for most fonts and most readers. To be safe, print your resume and share with different people who might see it differently.

Stop squashing and add value to your resume. 100% of the resumes I write are 2 or more pages.

Resume font choices

You can use what I call the combo strategy with your name and headline fonts in different fonts than the body. See example here. However, I find that the body of the resume reads best in a Sans Serif font. In the design phase of my resume writing process, the client often selects the font that he or she likes best out of a limited list. Fonts I use frequently:

• Calibri – 11 (Calibri, like some shoes, runs small so I always use a size 11.
• Century Gothic – 10 (a bigger font, Century Gothic has a more rounded look.)
• Arial – 10 (Arial in size 10 often solves pagination problems but it is a very common font)
• Segoe UI – 10 (newer in my line up, Segoe UI or its family member, Segoe Historic, was chosen by a Senior Product Design client who had a similar font he loved on his Mac.)
• Franklin Gothic Book – 10 (a clean-looking font)

When in doubt, work with an expert and don’t rely on information from outdated materials or sources.

I write resumes and LinkedIn profiles for leaders and executives in information technology, healthcare, finance, consumer product goods (CPG), and marketing. Are you ready if someone asks for your resume tomorrow? I coach you with the most current job search strategies as we write your resume together in Zoom video technology powered sessions. Find out more.