Surface guide
QR codes on cvs and résumés
A résumé QR code should be 2 cm and point at a portfolio or LinkedIn profile. The important caveat is that most résumés are read on screen or through an applicant tracking system, where a code is useless — print a visible URL too.
| Typical scan distance | 20–30 cm |
|---|---|
| Minimum code width | 2–2.5 cm |
| Error correction | M |
Assume it will never be scanned
A résumé is usually opened as a PDF on a laptop, or parsed by an applicant tracking system that strips images. In both cases the QR code does nothing. Always print the URL as text next to it — that is the version that works.
The code earns its place at a careers fair, at an interview where you hand over a printed copy, or on a portfolio leave-behind.
What to link
A single page you control: portfolio, work samples, a longer profile. Not a homepage.
Avoid encoding a vCard — recruiters do not want a contact record, they want to see the work, and a vCard is a much denser payload for a worse outcome.
Placement
Top right of the first page, or in the footer. Keep it out of the way of ATS text extraction — codes placed in a header sometimes confuse older parsers.
Never place it over a page break in a two-page PDF.