If you're building a resume and considering Times New Roman as your base font, you're probably wondering whether it actually looks good when combined with another typeface. The honest answer is: it can, but only if you choose the right pairing and use both fonts with purpose. A mismatched combination can make your resume look cluttered or outdated, while a smart pairing gives it a polished, professional feel that hiring managers notice.

This matters because recruiters spend an average of six to seven seconds on a first scan of your resume, according to a widely cited eye-tracking study by TheLadders. Font pairing affects readability, hierarchy, and the overall impression your document makes. Getting it wrong doesn't just look sloppy it can bury your best qualifications under bad typography.

Why Do People Still Use Times New Roman on Resumes?

Times New Roman is a serif font that has been the default in word processors for decades. Many job seekers default to it because it feels "safe" and traditional. It's also a requirement for some industries law firms, government agencies, and academic institutions sometimes expect it. The font carries an air of formality, and for certain roles, that's exactly what you want.

But used alone, Times New Roman can look plain. It lacks visual variety, and when every section of your resume uses the same font at the same weight, nothing stands out. That's where pairing it with a second font becomes useful. You create contrast between headings and body text, which helps recruiters find information faster.

Which Fonts Pair Well With Times New Roman?

The key to a good pairing is contrast without conflict. You want a second font that looks clearly different from Times New Roman but doesn't fight with it. Here are combinations that work:

Sans-Serif Headings + Times New Roman Body Text

This is the most popular and reliable approach. A clean sans-serif for section headers paired with Times New Roman for body content creates a strong visual hierarchy. Good options include:

Arial neutral, widely available, and easy to read at any size
Calibri slightly warmer than Arial, pairs naturally because both come from Microsoft's default set
Helvetica clean and modern, works especially well for creative or tech roles
Lato a Google font with friendly proportions that softens the formality of Times New Roman
Montserrat geometric and bold, good for making headers pop on a traditional resume

You can see more examples of this kind of combination in this breakdown of executive CV font pairings using Times New Roman with modern sans-serifs.

Times New Roman Headings + A Lighter Serif Body

This is less common but works if you want an all-serif look with more depth. Use Times New Roman in bold for headers and a lighter serif for body paragraphs. Options include:

Garamond elegant and slightly narrower, which gives your body text a more refined appearance
Georgia designed for screens but works well in print, slightly larger x-height than Times New Roman

For a deeper look at all-serif combinations, see this guide on professional resume typography using complementary fonts.

A Two-Font System for Sectioned Resumes

Some resume designs use a sidebar layout. In that case, you might put your name, contact info, and section headers in a bold sans-serif like Open Sans or Roboto, and use Times New Roman for the main content column. This works because the sidebar acts as a visual anchor and the serif body text reads comfortably in longer paragraphs.

What Does a Good Font Pairing Actually Look Like on a Resume?

Here's a simple, practical layout using two fonts:

Name: Sans-serif font, 22–26pt, bold
Section headers (Experience, Education, Skills): Same sans-serif, 13–14pt, bold or uppercase
Job titles and company names: Times New Roman, 12pt, bold
Body descriptions and bullet points: Times New Roman, 11–12pt, regular weight

This setup keeps things organized. The sans-serif headers stand out immediately, while the serif body text feels professional and is easy to read in longer blocks. If you want more concrete examples, check this resource on whether Times New Roman looks good paired with other resume fonts.

What Are the Most Common Font Pairing Mistakes on Resumes?

Here's what goes wrong most often:

Using two serif fonts that look too similar. Times New Roman and Palatino, for example, don't create enough contrast. The reader can't tell the hierarchy apart.
Using too many fonts. Two is enough. Three or more fonts on a single-page resume makes it look like a scrapbook, not a professional document.
Mismatched font sizes. If your heading font is only 1pt larger than your body font, the pairing loses its purpose. Aim for at least a 4pt difference between headers and body text.
Ignoring font weight. Bold and regular weights matter just as much as the font choice itself. Use bold for emphasis sparingly.
Choosing decorative or script fonts as a second font. Cursive or display fonts have no place on a resume. They reduce readability and look unprofessional to most hiring managers.
Not checking compatibility with ATS software. Some applicant tracking systems strip formatting. Stick with standard fonts that are widely supported.

Does Font Pairing Matter More in Certain Industries?

Yes. Here's a rough guide:

Law, finance, government: Times New Roman alone or paired with a conservative sans-serif like Arial. Keep it simple.
Tech, startups, marketing: You have more freedom. A sans-serif header with Times New Roman body can work, but many people in these fields prefer all-sans-serif layouts. If you use Times New Roman here, the pairing needs to feel intentional, not accidental.
Academic and research: Times New Roman is often expected. Pairing it with a clean sans-serif for headers adds readability without breaking norms.
Creative fields (design, writing, media): You can be more adventurous, but Times New Roman may signal a lack of design awareness. If you use it, make sure the pairing is sharp and deliberate.

How Do You Test Whether Your Font Pairing Works?

Try these quick checks:

Print your resume. Fonts look different on screen versus paper. What looks good on a monitor might be too thin or too heavy in print.
Squint test. Step back from the screen or squint. Can you still tell headers apart from body text? If not, you need more contrast.
Ask someone to scan your resume for 7 seconds. Can they identify your job title, current role, and skills? If the fonts are fighting each other, they won't.
Check on multiple devices. Open your resume on a phone, a tablet, and a different computer. If you used a less common font, it might not render properly.
Save as PDF. Always export to PDF so your fonts don't change based on what's installed on the recruiter's machine.

Quick Checklist Before You Finalize Your Resume Fonts

Have you chosen exactly two fonts one for headers, one for body text?
Is there clear visual contrast between them (serif + sans-serif is the safest bet)?
Are your font sizes between 10–12pt for body and 13–16pt for headers?
Did you test the printed version?
Did you save the final file as a PDF?
Have you confirmed the fonts render properly on different systems?
Does the overall look match the tone of your target industry?

Next step: Open your resume right now. If you're using Times New Roman for everything, pick one sans-serif from the list above, apply it to your section headers at 14pt bold, keep Times New Roman at 11pt for body text, and compare the before and after. The difference in readability will be immediately obvious. Download Now