QR codes by use case → QR codes on a resume or CV

QR codes on a resume or CV

A printed CV is handed over once and read later, usually somewhere you aren't. A QR code is the shortest path from that piece of paper to work a recruiter can actually look at.

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This code is static. Once it's printed, the destination is frozen — a typo or a changed link means reprinting everything. Make it dynamic instead and you can re-point it anytime and count the scans. Free for 2 codes.

Point at the thing paper can't show

Code, designs, a demo reel, a longer case study, a personal site. Not your LinkedIn profile, which the recruiter can find in five seconds anyway — link the thing that isn't already one search away.

Keep it working after you move

Portfolios move: a new domain, a new host, a switch from Behance to your own site. Every CV you've ever handed out keeps pointing at the old place unless the code was dynamic. Applications get read weeks after they're sent — that lag is exactly when a broken link costs you.

Know when it's being read

Scan counts on a CV code are a weak but real signal that a printed application got past the pile. It's not a hiring pipeline, but it's more than the nothing you normally get.

Printing checklist

• Put it in the header near your contact details, not floating in a margin.
• Keep it around 2cm square — big enough to scan, small enough not to shout.
• Label it 'Portfolio' or 'Work samples' so it's clearly worth scanning.
• Make sure the destination is mobile-readable; recruiters scan on phones.
• Check it survives being printed in black and white on office paper.

Questions

Do recruiters actually scan them?

Some do, some don't — it depends heavily on the field. It costs you two square centimetres to find out, and with a dynamic code you can see whether anyone did.

What if my portfolio URL changes?

Re-point the code. Every copy of your CV already in circulation starts working again, which is not something you can fix any other way.

Related

• QR codes for business cards — Put a QR code on your business card that still works after you change jobs, sites or phone numbers. Free generator, editable codes.
• Dynamic vs static QR codes — A static QR code has the destination baked into the image. A dynamic one points at a link you control. Here's when each is the right call.
• What size should a QR code be? — The rule is one tenth of the scanning distance, with a 2cm minimum. Sizes for business cards, flyers, posters, packaging and signage.