The Best Fonts for ATS-Friendly Resumes: Readability Meets Tech

Font Choice: More Than Just Aesthetics

In the world of ATS compliance, the wrong font can turn your "Manager" title into "Mojibake." While modern ATS are smarter, sticking to "safe" fonts ensures 100% compatibility and professional presentation for human readers.

The Golden Rule: Serif vs. Sans-Serif

Both are acceptable, but they convey different vibes.
Serif (with tails): Traditional, reliable, authoritative.
Sans-Serif (without tails): Modern, clean, innovative.

Top Sans-Serif Fonts (The Modern Choice)

• Arial: The safest bet. It's universal, though a bit generic.
• Calibri: The default for Office, excellent readability, very ATS-friendly.
• Helvetica: A designer favorite. Clean, professional, and crisp.
• Roboto: Used by Google, very modern and legible on screens.
• Verdana: Designed specifically for screen readability.

Top Serif Fonts (The Classic Choice)

• Times New Roman: The standard. Some call it outdated, but every ATS reads it perfectly.
• Georgia: A more modern alternative to Times New Roman, easier to read on screens.
• Garamond: Elegant and sophisticated, often used in executive resumes.

Fonts to Avoid

• Comic Sans: Unprofessional (obviously).
• Impact: Too heavy and hard to read.
• Papyrus/Fantasy fonts: Hard to parse and look amateurish.
• Custom Downloaded Fonts: If the ATS doesn't have the font installed, it might fallback to symbols or default text, ruining your formatting.

Conclusion

When in doubt, play it safe. Using a standard font like Arial or Calibri ensures your content is the star of the show, not your typography.