serif or sans-serif font for a resume?

[pokerfan]

A serif font (Times New Roman) is more traditional looking but sans-serif (Helvetica) is supposed to be more contemporary. Serif looks better printed but a sans-serif font is easier to read on a monitor. I already know I shouldn't use Comic-sans.

Career objective: To have my skills and ethics challenged on a daily basis. I once received a plague for engineer of the year. I am very detail-oreinted and graduated in the top 80% of my class.

Career objective: To have my skills and ethics challenged on a daily basis. I once received a plague for engineer of the year. I am very detail-oreinted and graduated in the top 80% of my class.

Career objective: To have my skills and ethics challenged on a daily basis. I once received a plague for engineer of the year. I am very detail-oreinted and graduated in the top 80% of my class.

[Suich]

1. Which is which?

I like the middle one.

I think you mean "plaque!"

[pokerfan]

5. The middle one is Helvetica

a sans-serif that is apparently easier to read on a monitor. Serif fonts have little tails on the characters that look great when printed but less so on a computer screen. Given that my work is highly technical, I image that most people will be reading it on a computer. I think I might make copies in a sans font for emailing and bring hard copies that are in serif.

That's for spotting the typo but pretty much the whole sample text was meant to be humorous.

[Sweet Freedom]

2. Both.

Use the sans serif for headers and serif for blocks of copy.

[rug]

3. If you got the plague, the font doesn't matter.

[LanternWaste]

4. sans serif... humanist or helvitica.

sans serif... humanist or helvetica.

Humanist is a very traditional and professional looking sans serif typefaces. If you do go serif, Caslon bt is the way-- it will stand out from the times family, but not enough to overpower of jar the reader.

(this from a typesetter, so take it for what it's worth-- not very much)

[pokerfan]

7. Thanks for the professional opinion

Googling....

Humanist (Calibri, Johnston, Lucida Grande, Segoe UI, Gill Sans, Myriad, Frutiger, Trebuchet MS, Tahoma, Verdana and Optima, a.k.a. Zapf Humanist). These are the most calligraphic of the sans-serif typefaces, with some variation in line width and more legibility than other sans-serif fonts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sans-serif

I've always liked Verdana....

[grasswire]

9. are there still typesetters?

My father was a printer who could set type by hand. Even had an old letterpress in the basement of the family home, for fun.

[LanternWaste]

16. desktop typesetting, yes.

desktop typesetting, yes. Not the ink-stained wretches of yesteryear... though I often wish it were so.

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. LOL

This is a joke, yes?

[pokerfan]

8. The sample text is, but my font question is not (nt)

[Capn Sunshine]

10. I like Palatino

Easy to read, on monitor or off.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

12. It's a vile, right-wing font

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4571861

(kidding)

:hi:

On the other hand, if a vile, right-wing font can land a job ...

[jmowreader]

11. Use Lucida Sans.

A LOT of companies either fax resumes from place to place, or they scan them into a database. There was a study undertaken many years ago in which it was proven the font that scans and faxes the best of all--as in, with the fewest font-recognition errors--is Lucida Sans. So use that.

Bonus: it's not hideously ugly.

[struggle4progress]

13. Sans always looks cleaner to me. And the purpose of the resume

is to get the info across ASAP -- so I would aim for readable layout and clean font

[pokerfan]

32. I'm leaning toward a sans-serif font

Serif fonts tend to suffer when copied and faxed multiple times and the work winds up losing its readability. Also, I suspect that much of the time, it will be read on a computer monitor where a serif font also tends to suffer.

I found this:

Here’s a very basic resume writing question: What font should you use for your resume?

It’s not an insignificant issue.

First of all, you want your resume to be legible. And you want your resume to be legible (easily readable) not just for human eyes, but also for computer eyes… in case your resume might be scanned into a database. You want your resume to be legible if faxed, scanned, transmitted, emailed as a photo attachment, etc.

But secondly, and just as important, the font you chose can communicate a lot about your professionalism and intentions. If you’re an accountant, you want to stick with normal, conventional “professional” fonts. But if you’re a graphic designer, you want to and probably need to be a little more adventurous in your font choice.

http://www.thejobbored.com/what-font-should-i-use-for-my-resume_979

[6000eliot]

14. Serif is known to be easier to read.

[HopeHoops]

15. Sans-serif - easier to read.

[Deep13]

17. Times New Roman. nt

[Dulcinea]

21. Yes.

Times New Roman, 12-point.

[Deep13]

25. 13 or 14 would be easier to read.

If there is a lot, then 12 would be better than trying to cram all those big letters onto one page.

[ChoralScholar]

18. I dunno... it depends on what the reader would appreciate...

The standard serif and sans-serif fonts just beg to be looked over. You want something that looks enough different to warrant a second look. So, instead of Times New Roman, maybe Goudy OlSt, Garamond, or High Tower Text. Like I said, just a little different.

As far as sans-serif, instead of Arial or Helvetica, maybe try Century Gothic or Verdana.

[Rabrrrrrr]

19. Serif. Sans-serif says "I don't care about myself or you, the reader"

"top 80% of my class" - :rofl:

:thumbsup:

[Rabrrrrrr]

20. COPPERPLATE BOLD GOTHIC UNDERLINED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Brickbat]

22. As someone who has seen a lot of resumes, I prefer serif. It looks much more professional, to me.

[rocktivity]

23. Serif looks classier, like you're more serious.

By the way, are you sure you don't mean "plaque"? Employers aren't big on hiring potential plauge-spreaders! And graduating in the "top 80%" of your class won't impress them as your having graduated in the top 20 per cent!

;)
rocktivity

[Scout]

24. serif for the body copy, sans serif for headings n/t

[old mark]

26. No 2 for engineering, but change Plague to Plaque,unless you were very fucking sick.

Then at the bottom, you can put the old joke,"I din't no hou to spel enginerr, now I r 1."

That gets you a lot of points with engineering firms.

Good luck
mark

[Bucky]

27. Tahoma or Verdana. But not comic sans.

And, no, not Candy Cane, either.

[pokerfan]

30. Considered Candy Cane

but it loses much of its impact when printed in b&w. :)

[timtom]

28. Self-delete

[grace0418]

29. Well I'm a graphic designer so I can't bear the thought of using TNR for anything ever.

Maybe another serif if you have it? Caslon or Baskerville are decent and traditional looking.

Helvetica is fine, if overused. Try Helvetica Neue for a change of pace. I also like Univers or Avenir or Century Gothic.

Obviously Comic Sans is a joke so I won't comment on that.

[Chan790]

31. I once had a resume sent to me in Comic Sans.

It was for an internship and the applicant was perfect on paper, a little too qualified in fact. Who with those qualifications and age (the person had 20 years of experience so I knew they had to be at-least 42.) applies for an unpaid internship. So...I hired them. Fired them the same day.

The font choice should have been a hint.

[grace0418]

33. A resume sent to me in comic sans would not even be read. It would go straight in the

garbage. But, then again, I'm a graphic designer. Unless going for extreme irony, no graphic designer worth his or her salt would even consider using comic sans for anything. Especially not a resume.

I have gotten some resumes with typos though. Like I'm going to hire someone who can't spell everything in their resume correctly. What happens when they're in charge of a huge ad campaign?

[astral]

34. One small detail.

"Career objective: To have my skills and ethics challenged on a daily basis. I once received a plague for engineer of the year. I am very detail-oreinted and graduated in the top 80% of my class."

detail-oriented.

But nobody here noticed either : )

I like sans serif. Middle one's best.

[begin_within]

36. I did

There are 4 jokes in the sample text. Ethics challenged; plague; oreinted; top 80% means they could have been ranked student #80 out of 100... not impressive.

[astral]

38. Ah, so it WAS a joke

It is impossible to tell sometimes : )

[begin_within]

35. I would choose a serif typeface

The serifs help guide the eye down the line of words. I would also make your resumé as terse as possible. It's just a summary, snapshot or abstract of your career. If they want to know more about something listed, they will ask. Make it a quick and easy read. One page only. Make it so they get the overall picture quickly. If they want more details, they can ask later.

[Lil Missy]

37. You once received a plague??