Choosing the right font pairing for your CV sounds like a small detail, but it can shape the entire first impression a recruiter gets. When you combine Times New Roman with Calibri, you get something specific: a resume that feels both traditional and modern. The serif font signals credibility and formality. The sans-serif font adds clean readability and a contemporary edge. Together, they create a visual hierarchy that guides the reader's eye from your name down to your skills. This pairing matters because hiring managers scan CVs in under ten seconds, and the right combination of fonts helps them find what they need fast.

Why do Times New Roman and Calibri work well together on a CV?

The core reason is contrast. Times New Roman is a serif typeface it has small decorative strokes at the ends of each letter. Calibri is a sans-serif typeface clean, rounded, and without those strokes. When you pair a serif with a sans-serif, each font occupies its own visual space. They don't compete. They complement.

Times New Roman carries weight and authority. It's the font most people associate with official documents, academic papers, and formal business writing. Calibri, on the other hand, is the default font in Microsoft Word for a reason it's highly legible on screens and in print, with generous spacing and soft curves.

On a CV, this means you can use Times New Roman for section headings or your name to signal professionalism, and Calibri for body text to keep things scannable. The pairing also works because both fonts share similar x-heights and proportions, so the transition between them feels smooth rather than jarring.

If you're exploring other serif-and-sans-serif combinations, you can check out how Times New Roman looks when paired with other fonts for resumes to see how this classic serif holds up against different options.

When should you use this font pairing on your CV?

This combination fits best in industries and roles where professionalism and tradition are valued. Think law firms, government positions, banking, accounting, academia, and corporate management. If you're applying to a company with a conservative culture, Times New Roman for headings and Calibri for the body gives your CV a polished, no-nonsense look.

It's also a smart choice when you're submitting your CV as a Word document or PDF. Both fonts are universally available across operating systems, so your formatting won't break when a recruiter opens the file on a different computer. This is a practical advantage that many job seekers overlook.

For executive-level roles specifically, you might want to read about pairing Times New Roman with a modern sans-serif for an executive CV, which goes deeper into how font choice signals seniority and authority.

How do you set up Times New Roman and Calibri on a CV?

The most common approach is a two-font system:

Your name and section headings Use Times New Roman, bold, between 12pt and 14pt. This anchors the document with a formal, authoritative feel.
Body text, bullet points, and descriptions Use Calibri at 10.5pt to 11.5pt. This keeps the content readable and gives the page a clean, modern feel.

Another approach flips this: Calibri for headings and Times New Roman for body text. This works if you want the CV to feel slightly more modern overall while still benefiting from the serif's readability in longer text blocks. However, most recruiters and hiring managers are more used to seeing the serif-heading format, so it tends to feel more natural.

What sizes should you use?

Keep your body text between 10pt and 12pt. Anything below 10pt becomes hard to read, especially in print. Anything above 12pt wastes space. For headings, 1pt to 2pt larger than the body text is enough to create clear visual separation without making the layout feel unbalanced.

What are common mistakes people make with this pairing?

Using too many font sizes. Stick to two or three sizes total one for your name, one for headings, and one for body text. More than that makes the CV look cluttered.
Mixing bold, italic, and underline on the same text. Pick one emphasis style per element. Bold for headings, italic for job titles or dates that's enough.
Switching fonts mid-section. Every heading should use the same font. Every body paragraph should use the same font. Consistency is what makes the pairing effective.
Ignoring line spacing. Both Times New Roman and Calibri benefit from 1.15 to 1.3 line spacing. Tight single spacing makes the text feel cramped, especially in Calibri at smaller sizes.
Choosing Times New Roman for the entire CV. Using one serif font everywhere removes the contrast that makes this pairing work. The whole point is to give each section its own visual identity.

If you want to understand which other fonts pair well with Times New Roman in general, there's a helpful breakdown in this guide on the best fonts to pair with Times New Roman on a resume.

Does this pairing work for ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems)?

Yes. Both Times New Roman and Calibri are standard system fonts that ATS software can read without issues. This is important because many companies use automated systems to scan CVs before a human ever sees them. Unusual or decorative fonts can sometimes cause parsing errors the system misreads characters or skips sections entirely.

By sticking with widely recognized fonts like these two, you reduce the risk of your CV being rejected by an algorithm before it reaches a real person. According to Jobscan's research on ATS compatibility, standard fonts are among the simplest ways to improve how your resume performs in tracking systems.

What does this pairing look like on paper?

Imagine a CV where your name sits at the top in Times New Roman Bold, 14pt. Below it, your contact details are in Calibri, 10.5pt. Each section "Experience," "Education," "Skills" is a Times New Roman heading at 12pt. Under each heading, your bullet points and descriptions flow in Calibri at 11pt.

The page reads easily. The headings draw the eye. The body text doesn't fight for attention. The overall effect is professional without being stiff, clean without being cold.

Quick checklist before you send your CV

Use Times New Roman for headings and your name only not for body text
Use Calibri for bullet points, descriptions, and contact details
Keep body text between 10.5pt and 11.5pt
Set line spacing to 1.15 or 1.3
Limit font styles to bold and italic skip underline and colored text
Save as PDF to lock in formatting across all devices
Test the file by opening it on a different computer before submitting

Next step: Open your current CV, apply this two-font system, save it as a PDF, and ask someone who hasn't seen it before to scan it for ten seconds. If they can identify your job title, most recent role, and key skills without struggling to read the text, your font pairing is doing its job. Learn More