Avoid Using this ‘Boring’ Font on Your Résumé at All Costs, Experts Suggest

April 29, 2015

So when it comes to résumés, why is the Times New Roman font similar to putting on sweatpants?

Well, according to typography experts who talked to Bloomberg, Times New Roman telegraphs “that you didn’t put any thought into the typeface that you selected.”

So while Times New Roman is often the go-to font when creating your résumé, it’s the no-go font if you want to snag an interview. Because the Times News Roman font is seen everywhere, you are doing yourself a disservice if you use it. Fortunately, sites like Font Generator can give you an edge.

That’s because your résumé should stand out, of course. You have to remember that open positions get flooded with résumés, and you have only one chance when your résumé is reviewed by HR or any hiring company. If they don’t like the look of it, your résumé goes in the trash.

Wendi Weiner, a professional résumé writer, told Business News Daily:

“Since a prospective employer is looking at the résumé for only [a few] seconds, you want [a font] that is aesthetically pleasing and grabs the employer’s attention at a quick glance. The résumé should be sophisticated in design with clear headings that stand out.”

Business News Daily put out a similar list and found that the top fonts for résumés were Calibri, Garamond, Georgia and Trebuchet MS. Interestingly, Times New Roman made the list. Still, you should think twice when using it. Writing on Forward Motion Careers, Marcia LaReau, founder and president of Career Strategist, said:

“Times New Roman will show up as clean, easy-to-read text on any computer. While this font is highly readable and safe, be aware that, like Arial, using it may be construed as boring and unimaginative, and is unlikely to stand out in a sea of résumés.”

So is there a top font to use? According to Bloomberg’s list, it’s Helvetica, which was hailed as “no-fuss” and “lighthearted.”

So the next time you update your résumé, stay away from TNR and you might just find yourself with more than one interview to choose from.

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