QR code on a resume

When a QR code helps, and when it doesn't

It helps when:

• You hand out printed resumes at career fairs, interviews or networking events.
• Your work is visual or hard to describe: design, photography, architecture, video, code, writing samples.
• You have one page that collects everything, so the code opens something worth the scan.

Skip it when:

• You apply online or send a PDF. A clickable link is one tap; a QR code on screen can't be scanned by the phone showing it.
• Space is tight. A QR code takes room your experience could use.
• It would only open your LinkedIn profile, which recruiters can find anyway. A plain link does the same job.

Whether a resume should have one at all is a matter of taste in your field. If in doubt, ask someone who hires for the roles you want.

What to link it to

The code should open a page that's:

• Yours and stable. A personal site, portfolio or a page like liite.co/yourname. Shared cloud folders and file links can change permission or expire.
• Made for phones. Recruiters will scan with a phone, so the page has to read well on one.
• Short to type. You're printing the link next to the code as well, so a short address helps both.

Point the code at your page, not at a single file. Then you can update your portfolio without reprinting your resume.

Where to put it and how big

• Top right corner, beside your contact details, or at the bottom of the first page.
• About 2 cm (0.8 in) wide for a short link. That's big enough for a phone at reading distance. Longer links make denser codes that need more room; see minimum QR code size.
• White space round it. Scanners need a clear margin. The download from the tool below has a narrow white border, so leave extra white space round the code in your layout.
• A label. A few words like "Portfolio" under the code tell people what they're scanning for.
• Black on white unless your layout is in colour. Keep good contrast either way.

Keep it working for applicant tracking systems

Many employers run resumes through software before a person reads them. Don't count on that software reading a QR code. Write your portfolio and LinkedIn links as plain text too, so nothing is lost if the image is ignored.

Also use the SVG version in your document editor if it accepts SVG, or the largest PNG. A blurry, upscaled code may scan on screen but fail when printed.

Make the code

1. Paste your portfolio or profile link into the generator below. It shows the code as you type.
2. Scan the preview with your phone and check it opens the right page.
3. Download the PNG (for Word or Google Docs) or SVG (for design software).
4. Place it on your resume, print one copy and scan the paper version before you print the rest.

The code is static, so it doesn't expire and there's no account behind it. If you might change where it points, change the page it opens rather than the code.

Related guides

• Minimum QR code size
• How to test a QR code
• Do QR codes expire?