Choose a font that opens the same everywhere
A Word file shows your font only if the employer's computer has it. If it does not, Word swaps in another font and your lines and page breaks move. Fonts installed with Windows, macOS or Microsoft Office avoid that: Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Georgia and similar.
Sans-serif fonts such as Arial and Calibri read cleanly on screens. Serif fonts such as Georgia and Cambria look more traditional and work well for names and headings. Either is fine for a UK CV. Avoid script, novelty and very thin fonts, and use one or two fonts at most.
A PDF carries its fonts inside the file, so it looks the same on every device. Send a PDF unless the employer asks for Word.
Sizes that work
These are the sizes our eight designs use, measured from the Word files on this site. They show the range that stays readable when printed on A4.
| Design | Name | Section headings | Main text | Side margins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | Georgia 25 pt | Arial 11 pt bold | Arial 11 pt | 19 mm |
| Modern | Calibri 26 pt | Calibri 10 pt capitals | Calibri 10.5 pt | 14 mm |
| Minimal | Arial 22 pt | Arial 8.5 pt capitals | Arial 10.5 pt | 25 mm |
| Professional | Cambria 24 pt | Cambria 12 pt small capitals | Cambria 10.5 pt | 20 mm |
| Compact | Calibri 18 pt | Calibri 10.5 pt capitals | Calibri 10.5 pt | 14 mm |
| Creative | Calibri 28 pt | Calibri 12 pt | Calibri 10.5 pt | 16 mm |
| Academic | Georgia 22 pt | Georgia 12.5 pt | Georgia 10.5 pt | 22 mm |
| Plain | Arial 16 pt | Arial 12 pt capitals | Arial 11 pt | 20 mm |
Do not shrink text to fit
If your CV runs onto a third page, cut words rather than shrinking the font below 10 point or the margins below about 1.3 cm. Shorten older jobs to one line, merge similar bullets and remove skills your history does not show. The CV length guide shows what to cut first.
Check the file you send
Open the exact file you will attach, on a different device if you can, and look at every page. Check that headings are consistent, that bullets line up and that nothing has jumped to a new page on its own.