What are the best fonts to use on your resume?

                            Getting your resume read means more than having great content and referrals who will sing your praise to the skies. You also need to get your resume in an easily readable format for ATS or Applicant Tracking Systems software. The layout of your resume, your choice of font and the format of your resume can all have a big impact on whether or not your resume ends up in the "to be reviewed" or "to be ignored" pile.

<h2>Tell Your Story</h2>
You want to keep your resume down to one page so it can be easily scanned with no need for pulling staples or duplexing. This will likely mean that you don't want a lot of graphics or big blocks of contrasting color on your submittal. However, you can still add some personal touches to your resume. For example, you can share your years of experience by sending out a resume in the <a href="https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5331-best-resume-fonts.html">Garamond</a> font. 

<h2>Serif or Sans-Serif?</h2>
Serif fonts have a finish, an extending feature or flick at the end of the stroke. In Times New Roman, the little flair at the end the capital "T" is a serif. Serif fonts are an ideal choice if you're part of a creative industry. For example, if you're looking for work in marketing or fashion, the Didot font will show off your creativity. 

The thing to watch out for when using a serif font is that they can look a little busier on the page, so they don't work well as a small font. Consider using a serif font for your headers and a sans-serif, such as Arial or Verdana for the body of your resume.

<h2>Getting Sized On the Page</h2>
To start, consider writing the whole resume in a basic font such as 12 point Helvetica. Make sure that everything you want to say fits on one page in a slightly bigger font. When you're ready to add your headers, you can reduce the body of the text down to 10 or 11 and have some space to play with a serif font on your headers, such as Goudy Old Style or American Typewriter. Avoid fonts that are excessively wide, such as Rockwell or Cooper Black, as they may read as blocks of solid color to the ATS software.

<h2>Format for ATS</h2>
Make sure you transmit your resume in either Word (secured) or as a TXT folder. If you scan your resume,  it may show up as a pdf picture. As an image, ATS can't read it, so you don't get your resume read. Do use <u>underlines</u>, <strong>bold</strong> and <i>italics</i> to highlight special points, such as awards, promotions, or big improvements made at your suggestion.

You can also change up the layout of the resume to make it more interesting by changing up the justification. If you have two columns going that feature your education before entering the working world and the training and certifications you received once you started working, justifying both columns to the outside (left on the left side, right justification on the right) can give you the chance to add a colored line between the columns, increase the visual interest of your resume, do no damage to  your ATS readability, and show off your creativity.

<h2>Shoot for Readability</h2>
Try to use a font that's at least 11 points. Going too small will make your resume an irritant, which is not what you want to convey. Experts also recommend that you go easy on the bullet points, opting for columns that promote clarity instead. Create a little white space so the eye can rest, but avoid big gaps on the page.

Keep your resume clear and direct. Use color sparingly so ATS software doesn't get confused. Keep your font sans serif in the body, especially if you have to size down below 11. Do make room for headers in a different font, use justification, underlines, italics and bolds to add visual interest and draw attention to your accomplishments.