BEST FONTS FOR CV WRITING IN NIGERIA

Why fonts matter in writing a job-getting CV

One great/effective way of improving both the presentation and effectiveness of your CV is to choose an appropriate font for it.

Ordinarily speaking, a CV or resume font selection may seem like a not so important matter at first. Most Nigerian job seekers simply ask if font selection makes any difference. The fact of the matter is that your CV or resume font selection can make or break your chances of being shortlisted for a job interview. Here is why…

The main purpose of your CV or resume is to convey information about you to the employer in clear and unambiguous terms. Anything that hinders this primary objective will negatively affect your chances of being invited for a job interview as there are several other job seekers who are actually targeting the same job. CVs with fancy, distracting, unprofessional or difficult to read fonts are never read.

Always have it in mind that Hiring managers are busy people and they do not have the time to sit down and try to decipher or interpret your resume/CV. You have to get their attention right away as employers spend seconds going through your CV.

In applying for a job, it is important to know that there is a whole of meaning and message you convey to the employers by your CV font.

Below are criteria for selecting the right kind of font that would improve your chance of landing that job

The following points must be thoroughly considered when choosing or deciding a font to use in writing you CV

1. Legibility/Readability

The legibility or readability of your CV is the single most important condition for any typeface that you decide to choose. The font that you select should make your resume professionally pleasing and very easy to scan, skim and read through.

Many job applicants choose “fancy” or “beautiful” fonts in other to make their CVs or Resumes “stand out” from the crowd. In the real sense, these “FANCY” typefaces actually limit your chances by distracting the reader from the CV’s main content as this is a fatal mistake to make.

There is no point making your CV beautiful when it is quite difficult to read. Always have it in mind that the primary purpose of a CV is to convey information and not to look beautiful.

NOTE: Research has shown that certain fonts are easier to read on the screen than on paper and vice versa. You should ensure that your chosen font looks good on paper as it does on the screen.

2. Professionalism

In writing a CV, you are not looking for the prettiest font that has ever existed. There are many fonts that are amazing on their own but when used in writing a CV it will significantly reduce  your chances of landing a job interview! Always have it in mind that the job recruitment and hiring process is a highly professional process.

It will do you no good if the most important document in the job recruitment process, your CV, is presented in a fancy font with symbols, shapes, curves and lines. In writing a job getting CV, always select a typeface that conveys professionalism as it’ll further help to you.

3. Widely Adopted/Conventional

Besides being readable and looking professional, your CV should also be conventional or widely adopted. Hiring managers are used to seeing certain conventional typefaces and they will recognize/ love it subconsciously when they see it, this would further improve your chance. By introducing new radical fonts, you risk making your CV stand out from the other widely adopted CVs in a negative way.

Additional benefit: conventional fonts are widely supported by various operating systems especially when your CV is to be scanned  by the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Below are the best advisable fonts to use in writing your cv

To assist you, we have compiled the top best fonts to use. Know that all these fonts meet the above three criteria and are acceptable to adopt. It comes down to your personal choice which one you prefer to use.

1. Lucida Sans 2. Helvetica 3. Arial 4. Verdana 5. Cambria 6. Georgia 7. Calibri 8. Tahoma 9. Garamond

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT FONT SIZES WHEN WRITING YOUR CV

The font size of a text determines how large its characters will be displayed on a screen or printed on paper. It has been proven that there is no fixed size for displaying your CV/resume as it all depends on your chosen typeface.

Note: Garamond, Cambria and Calibri have small and light letters; Verdana 8 pt is comparable to Times New Roman 10 pt; Using Tahoma with small typeface size will make the text look cramped and restricted.

Given these differences in typeface, it is therefore highly recommended that you experiment with different font sizes to see which size is appropriate for your CV.

In drafting a Professional CV, Never go below or above the 10-13 pt range.

When writing your CV, If you struggle to put all your information on 2 pages, consider changing the typeface of your CV as that might free up some valuable space which would be of immense help.

How to select a your desired font in Microsoft Word

It is very easy to select another font in Microsoft Word:

Step 1: Highlight all the text of your CV/Resume (or press Ctrl + A on your keyboard)

Step 2: Navigate to the “Fonts” option in the user interface:

Step 3: Select a font from the dropdown menu and click on it.