

Inspired use of QR code on resume - muratmutlu
http://www.mobileinc.co.uk/2011/04/inspired-use-of-qr-code-on-cv/

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pieter
Am I the only one that doesn't like QR codes? Just use a URL instead.

1) You need a smartphone to scan them. People without a phone handy can't scan
them, so if you see an ad somewhere, and want to check it out later you can't
just remember the URL. For example, you might not want to take out your fancy
new superphone in the subway.

2) It's slow. If you have a current top-model, it might be tolerable, but it's
easier to just type in a URL on many phones.

3) It only works ok in the best cases. QR-codes on non-flat packaging, or
codes that you can only scan at an angle (people have different heights), or
codes behind reflective glass (bus stops) are difficult to scan

4) You need an app before you can actually scan them. Right there you're
already missing half your user base.

5) I don't know where the code points to. If you give me an URL, I can already
know something about it (e.g. cnn.com/ad2), with a QR-code, anything could
happen. No thanks.

6) It looks stupid when you're scanning the code.

~~~
masklinn
> You need a smartphone to scan them. People without a phone handy can't scan
> them, so if you see an ad somewhere, and want to check it out later you
> can't just remember the URL

No problem, just put them both. For smartphone (or at least not-completely-
stupid-phone) users (which are very common in e.g. Japan, where the use of
these codes is extremely widespread) qr-codes and the like are a godsend:
typing a 50 characters url correctly is a pain, scanning codes is trivial and
just about instantaneous.

> For example, you might not want to take out your fancy new superphone in the
> subway.

Not everybody lives in the bronx. That is FUD and a non-issue.

> It's slow. If you have a current top-model, it might be tolerable, but it's
> easier to just type in a URL on many phones.

No on both counts. Scanning a qr-code takes a few seconds, typing a URL
(especially a complex one) and ensuring you get it perfectly right (allowing
for a pair of errors) takes _at least_ as long _with a full keyboard_. Use a
10key, and the qr-codes win handily.

On my 3 years old smartphone (iPhone 3G), it takes roughly as long to start
quiQR and Safari, and from quiQR I only have to hit the "Scan" button and aim
the camera at the code. In Safari, I have to dismiss the favorites (if no page
is loaded yet), potentially create a new tab/page, tap the URL bar, and then
copy the URL.

And as you can see in the video, it took 5s from tapping on the qr-scanning
application icon to having the Youtube application open, . Would you be able
to type a youtube video URL (including the dozen of semi-random characters
identifier) faster without any mistake? Outlook not so good.

> You need an app before you can actually scan them.

These apps are widespread, and again in Japan (where these codes are used a
lot) I believe phones can scan them natively. Similar spread of codes in
western countries would likely lead to phones bundling native support for them
(e.g. via image recognition built in the camera software)

> I don't know where the code points to. If you give me an URL, I can already
> know something about it (e.g. cnn.com/ad2), with a QR-code, anything could
> happen.

A qr-code is just text encoding, and it often is a URL. It makes no
difference. It's trivial to pop up the textual version of the code and prompt
for further action. That's what pretty much all code-scan applications I've
used do.

> 6) It looks stupid when you're scanning the code.

Oh noes, the humanity. Furthermore, if you believe you look stupid when
scanning a code, trust me that's nothing compared to copying a URL from a
print to a phone.

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danieldk
This is a nice site for creating your own QR-codes: <http://qrcode.kaywa.com/>

~~~
danieldk
I am just wondering why this is downvoted... I never realized that you could
easily create your own valid QR-codes, bumped into this site, and thought it
was nice...

~~~
RossM
Agreed (it might also interest you that you can generate them programmatically
using the Google Chart API[1]).

[1]: <http://code.google.com/apis/chart/docs/gallery/qr_codes.html>

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jhack
It's not a bad idea for creatively using QR codes, but I think it's a little
"much" for a resume.

~~~
jaysonelliot
That depends what kind of a position he's after.

For a creative job in advertising, for example, it might be exactly right.

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sbierwagen
A high resolution image of the resume, for the interested:
<http://www.victorpetit.fr/#912872/Curriculum-Vitae>

White text on a gray background, yeesh. Also, he felt the need to include two
copies of the headshot.

~~~
charper
Is the spelling of 'winddows' intentional ? Obviously he's not a native
english speaker so im not having a 'dig' just merely curious .

~~~
leif
Nope, just a typo. Windows is still Windows in France.

~~~
charper
Thats what I thought. Thanks.

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lean
Creative, but including any sort of photograph would instantly bar any
applicant from receiving an interview here in The States, in compliance with
equal opportunity laws.

~~~
mgkimsal
Not sure that's 100% true. Many places may indeed skip over someone like that,
but there's no law I've ever read that says "if someone sends in a picture,
you can not consider them for a position". Perhaps if you know of such a law,
you could post it here?

~~~
lean
It's in the spirit of compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of
1964. Any HR dept in the US will have a strict policy on this.

~~~
eli
You are using a _very_ extreme interpretation of the law.

It's illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race and other
protected classes. So by extension, it's best practice to avoid asking
applicants for their race or asking them for a photo, lest you give the
_appearance_ that it's a factor in the hiring decision.

But I've never heard of rejecting someone outright for sending an unsolicited
photo. That's just crazy. Would you also reject an applicant who had
"President of African-American Student Union" on their resume because it
belies their race?

~~~
thingicantsay
_Would you also reject an applicant who had "President of African-American
Student Union" on their resume because it belies their race?_

Well, likely he wouldn't, but we can be sure that he would reject someone
outright for having "President of the European-American Student Union", can't
we? Charitably, this is because there is essentially no chance anyone would
ever file a lawsuit for rejection of the second candidate. I'm sure you can
draw the uncharitable version yourself. :)

~~~
eli
I'm not really sure what you're saying, but it sounds mildly offensive.

It's both wrong and illegal to reject a candidate based on their race,
regardless of what race that is. And I am pretty sure the OP was _not_
implying otherwise. Further, I assure you that white people file
discrimination lawsuits too.

~~~
pbhjpbhj
> _I assure you that white people file discrimination lawsuits too._

// Out of interest have you a reference to a white person winning a race
discrimination case, preferably with regard to being hired?

Also why should "an applicant who had 'President of African-American Student
Union' on their resume because it belies their race?"? Surely a person of any
race can be president of the African-American SU, or are they allowed to be
racists?

~~~
pbhjpbhj
It tooks some time to find one but here
<http://www.adversity.net/philly_schools/default.htm> is a case of "reverse
discrimination" (which is of course just straight up racial discrimination)
against school district employees.

[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1077466/London-
Under...](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1077466/London-Underground-
accused-institutional-racism-white-worker-wins-discrimination-case-black-
colleague.html) is a case of failing to protect a white worker from bullying
whilst at the same time being extremely protective of black workers.

Just FWIW.

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adrianparsons
Why not just use a PDF?

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dytrivedi
My resume, which also uses a QR code (nothing too fancy, though) -
<http://advancewith.us/stuff/Resume.pdf>

