Friday, January 20, 2017

THE BEST AND WORST RÉSUMÉ FONTS | Using Times New Roman is the typeface equivalent of wearing sweatpants to an interview

A résumé, that piece of paper designed to reflect your best self, is one of the places where people still tend to use typeface to express themselves. It does not always go well, according to people who spend a lot of time looking at fonts.
​There is just one consensus winner: Helvetica.​ ​Helvetica is so no-fuss, it doesn’t really lean in one direction or another. It feels  professional, lighthearted, honest​, Helvetica is safe.
There are other options that, like Helvetica, are sans-serif. ​Do not choose a cheap imitator. If it’s me, I’m using Helvetica. Helvetica is beautiful.
Unless you’re applying for a design job, human resource professionals probably wouldn’t notice a knockoff font. But you would be on the wrong side of good taste. Could you live with that?
If you are very experienced, use Garamond to get your long rap sheet to fit into a single page. Garamond is legible and easy for the eye to follow​. ​It has all these quirks in it, so what that does is allow the eye to see where it should go.
There’s some controversy over the classic Times New Roman. It has been a system font for a long time. It’s been used and misused a lot. Using old faithful might send the wrong sign to your future boss, though. It’s ​saying that you didn’t put any thought into the typeface that you selected​…It’s like putting on sweatpants.
If you want something intentionally upscale, try Didot. It’s very tall, it’s a little fancy, and it’s a little feminine. It’s a good option for a fashion job, but not much else​. It’s like wearing the black dress to the ball. ​Would you wear a tuxedo to your job interview?
​Courier. You don’t have a typewriter, so don’t try to pretend that you have a typewriter. Don’t use Courier, I guess.
We probably do not even need to discuss this, but you should never use Comic Sans. Do not even look at Comic Sans. It should not be on your résumé unless you are applying to clown college.​ ​Don’t look for a Comic Sans-like font. Just let it go.

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