Best fonts for a resume

[Jezus_Ghoti]

I'm in the process of revamping my resume. I'm not a designer and I lack the eye that many of you have for this kind of stuff. What are some good fonts to use for a resume?

I guess I need two fonts, probably. One for all my contact info at the top, as well as the subtitles. Another for the actual text. I'm thinking that the first font should be a little more eye-catching, since my name at the top will be the first thing that most people see. The second should clearly be a standard font, but is there one that's better than the others? What are two fonts that complement each other well for a resume?

I'd also be interested in hearing tips on other "cool" things to do. Obviously I don't want to be the d-bag with everything right-justified or something ridiculous like that. I'm not looking to reinvent the wheel here. I just want to ensure that I'm not behind the times. I'm going to be applying for some jobs at places where artistic people and very good graphic designers work, so I want to meet their standards.

Your thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated.

[slapshot]

Sorta depends on the position to which you're applying.

If you're in a creative field, you definitely want to go with something away from ordinary.

If you're going for a non-creative position, you may want to stick with basic Times or Georgia. Many HR departments have scanning machines that read text documents (including resumes), and the more basic the font, the easier it is for the scanner to recognize and translate.

[fiasco!]

Just make damn sure it's legible. I wouldn't even grant you an interview if you use something I have a hard time looking at, no matter how good your book is.

[Jezus_Ghoti]

I know enough to make it legible. Like I said, I don't want something frilly and ridiculous. I just want something clean, possibly stylish and (most importantly) not hopelessly obsolete. My problem is that I don't know which font(s) that is.

[epper]

My current resume (used for Graphic Design positions) uses Gotham Black (All Caps) for Subheaders, and Adobe Garamond Pro for body text.

Export and Send as a .pdf, not a Word .doc.

[gordie_delini]

Use a sans and a serif that complement each other well, and as joel put it so eloquently, make sure it's legible.

[Quillz]

I use Myriad Pro for everything.

But for you I suggest Comic Sans MS.

[Bobcat79]

I use Myriad Pro for everything.

But for you I suggest Comic Sans MS.

Now that's just cruel.

What others have said sounds good. I'm still in college and haven't had to give resumes out for more than summer jobs, really, but tend to stick with a clean sans serif font all the way through (and just use bold or italics for emphasized or variant parts of the resume, like headers). Can't go wrong with Times, or if you have it, Helvetica. Arial works too.

[gordie_delini]

I would strongly caution against times and arial and helvetica. If this is for a design position, use something that *doesn't* come pre-installed on every computer in the world.

[BJK Design]

Right now i'm fond of Gotham and DIN if it's for a design portfolio.

[Jigga]

I'll let all these guys handle the font choice (but I think 1 serif and 1 sans serif is the way to go), but I'd like to add that white space is your friend...it looks cleaner and it really helps with readibility. Also, since it's a position that has something to do with creatives, have you thought about using color?

[Davidson]

the font is far less important than the layout and overall design. you can make a perfectly professional cv with helvetica.

[Jezus_Ghoti]

It's not for a design position specifically, but it is for a creative position and designers will likely see the resume.

Thanks for the advice so far.

[fiasco!]

I used Univers for my last resume.

[Mings]

I'm currently rocking Univers and Klavika on mine.

[oddball]

I'm kind of split on this. I don't even know what fonts are on my resume. Mine is a standard resume, with whatever font. I guess one day I'll do a create resume, I just don't see the need for it right now. I can see how a well designed resume could stand out even if your going for a non-creative position. Stop and think about how a well designed resume will stand out amongst all those plain white/cream resume. I really don't think you should worry so much about the fonts, as long as you keep the fonts legible and away from the cutesy. What's going to grab someone's eye about a creative resume is the layout, then what the info is on the resume. If you want to use fonts, then I'm of the belief that combining a serif and a san-serif font is good. Doesn't matter which fonts you use, but the contrast of the two type styles works, for me at least.

[aci]

I used Georgia for my resume, but it was for a position completely unrelated to anything to do with design.

[chuckymack]

I agree with Fraser. If it's for a creative position, the layout and hierarchy are far more important than typeface selection. If it's any help, my last resume featured Klavika (light, all caps and tracked out) for headings and subheads, and Helvetica Neue (Regular, kerned) for body copy.

[charger77]

What would be recommended for a non-design job?

[Top Shelf]

Clearly you should use Wingdings.