Applying to jobs in the education field can feel like an endless task and if you’re not hearing back from hiring managers it may even seem like a waste of time. What if you were to find out that something as simple as the font on your resume is the reason you’re not hearing back/ A new survey by Creative Fabrica of 1,000 hiring managers in the U.S. is uncovering how resume font types impact an applicant’s likelihood of getting a job. Read on to see what types of fonts could help you get your foot in the door — and the types of fonts that you should avoid.
Education Resume Tips
If you’re ready to land your dream job in the education sector, your best bet is to use fonts that rank high on the survey, such as Times New Roman, Georgia, Verdana, Helvetica, and Arial. Avoid using fonts like Consolas and Roboto, which rank low and for good reason. Those fonts can be difficult to read and can result in a cluttered-looking resume.
While you may wonder if this is merely preference, consider Designer Stanley Morison, who created the Times New Roman font for The Times in London. Through adjustments like reducing the spaces between letters in a word and widening the thicker portions of each letter, he not only made the font more efficient but at the same time made it stand out on the page. So using this font not only helps you fit more words into your resume — giving you room to include all of your accomplishments — but the font also makes your resume easier for the viewer to read.
If you’re fine-tuning your education career toward science or research, consider using Arial, Tahoma, Cambria, Verdana, or Helvetica in your resume, which scored high for this industry. Fonts to avoid, like Consolas and Comfortaa, ranked at the bottom. While designers typically don’t like Arial, because they believe it is a knock-off of the Helvetica font, Arial is a sensible choice when design is not of importance. For a science or research resume, the design won’t have nearly as much effect as the clarity with which you account for your experience, making Arial a reliable font to use in this case.
Hiring Managers' Pet Peeves
Fonts can play an important role in determining whether or not you get a call back from the recruiter. Some of the biggest font mistakes you can make include using too many font types, spacing inconsistently, and using excessive font color. You’ll want to make sure you also avoid using the Consolas, Roboto Mono, and Comfortaa fonts, as these scored the lowest when it came to hiring managers’ favorite fonts.
The design or layout of your resume also has an impact, as 70% of hiring managers have had issues reading a resume because of its design, and fonts play a role in the overall design. So when writing your resume, choose one font and stick with it throughout. Try to avoid using color, and if you must use, try to keep the color scheme coherent. You could also have a friend read through your resume before you finalize it, and have them weigh in on any font mistakes that stick out.
Because 61% of hiring managers reported that the design of your resume affects your chances of getting the job, don’t stop your design considerations at the font level. The use of emojis, cluttered layouts, and inconsistent formatting are the biggest design mistakes that applicants typically make. Do your best to keep your resume as straightforward as possible, avoiding any odd or unflattering designs that could confuse the recruiter. The clearer your resume is, the better the chance you have of being hired.
Resumes and AI
With the recent advances in large-language models, like ChatGPT, it’s no surprise that AI has found its way into the job market. Nearly a quarter of hiring managers say they use AI tools to review resumes. This means that you’ll want to do your research on each job opening. Look at their website or any other additional information you might have and look for keywords that the company uses throughout their media. Those are words you’ll want to include in your resume, as they could get flagged by their AI tools and help advance you to the next step in the hiring process.
You can also use AI to help you build your resume. While Gen Z and baby boomers are most likely to use AI tools to review resumes, Gen Z hiring managers are also the most open to AI resumes. AI is a useful tool when used correctly, so make sure you scour the resume for any mistakes before you send it in. Even while using AI, it’s important to remember that the most popular fonts for hiring managers across all industries are Times New Roman, Arial, and Helvetica.
With the uphill battle of job applications, having some knowledge of what hiring managers are looking for can only help. If you catch yourself using formatting that’s not liked by managers, now is the time to throw those bad habits away. By utilizing the optimal font and design of your resume, you can maximize the space you have on your paper and allow your personality and experience to shine through.
