Can I handwrite my resume?

We recommend that you never handwrite your resume.

Most resumes are submitted online these days, so uploading a handwritten resume will requiring scanning anyhow.  Hiring managers will not be impressed, and as most roles require some form of technical ability and computer skills, you will automatically be at a disadvantage.

It is becoming more common for resumes to be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS), which is sensitive to formatting and cannot understand even the neatest handwriting.  In this case, your resume will be immediately rejected.

The only situation where a handwritten resume is acceptable is if the job posting specifically asks for one.  Or perhaps if you are applying for a role as a calligrapher or want to stand out as a graphic designer?  We recommend that you call the hiring manager or recruiter first to make sure it won’t be too left-field.

(Side note – the French sometimes still use ‘graphology’ for recruitment and screening purposes, alongside or instead of psychometric testing.  So you might be asked to handwrite a resume in France, but I would still check with the hiring manager before I picked up a pen.)

Fast-Track Your Job Search With An Exceptional Resume.

Meg Salter
Co-Founder & Co-CEO
[email protected]
Linkedin: @meg-salter
Kate Bartlett
Co-Founder & Co-CEO
[email protected]
Linkedin: @bartlettkate

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