How to Use a QR Code on Your Resume

How to Use a QR Code on Your Resume How to Use a QR Code on Your Resume Youll find QR codes almost everywhere - in magazines and newspapers, on signs and posters, and even on billboards. Companies use them to promote their products and services and to direct consumers to websites where they can get more information. QR Codes on Resumes A new trend is for job seekers to include a QR code on their resume or business cards. Its not required, of course, but it can be a way to add a coolness factor to your resume and get your resume a second glance from a hiring manager. Having a QR code on your resume could help differentiate from the competition. Plus, if there is a particular online destination you want hiring managers to visit - like your online portfolio - its a good way to encourage a visit.   Reasons to Use a QR Code on Your Resume   Heres more on using QR codes on your resume or  business card  to stand out from the crowd with a QR code on your resume from James Alexander, Chief Executive Officer,  Vizibility, Inc. To Catch an Eye: QR codes are widely used on everything from movie posters to fast food placemats, but theyre still relatively novel on resumes. It can work in your favor, especially if youre applying for a job with a large pool of applicants. The QR code may help you attract the hiring managers attention, which is the crucial first step in getting hired.Botox for Your Resume: QR codes have a definite coolness factor, and their use instantly brands you as tech-savvy - as someone who embraces emerging technology. If youre an older job applicant, QR codes can help inoculate you  against age discrimination  by underscoring that youre open to innovation. Help Hiring Managers Find the Real You: Did you know that around 2,000 people on LinkedIn share a name with someone on the FBIs 10 Most Wanted List? It can lead to a serious case of mistaken identity since the vast majority of hiring managers conduct Google searches on job applicants. QR codes are a great way to direct hiring managers to a site containing relevant links that showcase your thought leadership, career accomplishments, online  portfolio or profile  on  professional sites like LinkedIn. A New Way to Look Good on the Small Screen: These days, more than half of all online searches originate from a mobile device. QR codes are designed to be scanned with a mobile device, and there are free and affordable services that can enable you to quickly and conveniently build a mobile mini-site to showcase your talents and achievements. QR codes can serve as a gateway to your mobile-optimized site.Check out Whos Checking You Out: With the right administrative tools, you can receive text or email alerts to monitor scans performed on your personal QR code, including the number of scans and geographical points of origin. It can help you gauge interest in your resume. Additionally, when a user scans a QR code, the URL is saved in the users mobile device, which can be an added advantage. Resume and Business Card There are a lot of perks to using a QR code. There are also some downsides. For one thing, many hiring managers may not be equipped to handle reading the QR code. In that case, it becomes a waste of valuable real estate. Also, hiring managers may expect to have your resume provide all the information needed on your work experience, and feel frustrated at the need to use the QR code to learn your full job history.   Plus, consider how people will be viewing your resume. If they are reviewing it as a hard copy, scanning the QR code is easy. But if they are opening the document on their smartphone, how can they scan the code? If youre sending your resume electronically, a link to your portfolio or LinkedIn page will be easier on readers.   Also, think through what information youll have at the destination of your QR code. What does your LinkedIn profile offer that your resume does not? Could you incorporate that information in your resume or cover letter? Whatever destination you use for your QR code, make sure it is providing professional information that will further your campaign. If people do take the time to scan your QR code only to wind up on a site full of typos and formatting errors, that wont help your candidacy.   Before investing the time to create a QR code, ask yourself if it will be advantageous to have it on your resume, and consider how the people viewing your resume - hiring managers and interviewers - are likely to react to it (this can vary, depending on your industry).