Including Your Address on Your Resume
There are differing opinions about providing detailed contact information to potential employers, and the answer is that it depends on the situation.
In some cases, it is not necessary to include your address on your resume, but there are reasons you might want to do so or not want to do so. In other cases, it may be essential to include the address.
What you record on your resume as an address depends on the type of employer and position, your place of residence, if you plan to relocate, your privacy concerns, and how you are applying for jobs.
Advantages of Including Your Address
It may increase your chances of getting a job interview.
You are not hiding information about your location.
It shows that you live within a reasonable distance from the company.
Disadvantages of Not Including Your Address
Your need for privacy may cost you a job interview.
The hiring manager may wonder why your address is not listed.
The company has no idea about your location.
Making a Decision About Including Your Address on Your Resume
Some companies will not consider applicants who do not provide an address, or they may wonder what you are trying to hide, as a traditional resume typically lists your home address. An employer may be looking for candidates who live in a specific geographic area. If that is the case, they do not want to spend time figuring out where you live.
However, applicants may be concerned about privacy or whether they will not be contacted for an interview if they do not live close enough to the hiring company. There are also concerns about fraud and who you can safely share your personal information with while job searching.
How should you record your contact information on your resume? The best way to determine when to include your actual address and when to leave it out of your resume is to decide on a case-by-case basis while applying for jobs.
Privacy Issues in Resumes
Privacy is an ongoing issue when submitting personal information via email or online. However, there are many different ways your identity can be stolen, and your resume is not at the top of the list.
For example, your mailbox could be a source of concern. Common complaints about identity theft include government benefits fraud, credit card fraud, phone and utility fraud, and banking fraud.
Note: Even if you feel comfortable including your actual address on your resume, never include information that identifies you, such as your social security number, driver’s license number, age, birth date, marital status, or any other personal information. None of this information is related to getting a job, and you do not want to put yourself in a position to be defrauded by sharing too much information about yourself.
There are two exceptions to this rule: if you are submitting a resume to a company based in Europe or the Middle East, it may be necessary to provide information such as your birth date and marital status for the application review. Job applicants for government positions must provide their address and social security number.
The best way to ensure the safety of your privacy is to be cautious about who you share your resume with. It may take a little extra time, but if you are careful to ensure that the job you intend to apply for is not a scam and that the company is legitimate, you won’t have too much to worry about. Also, take general precautions to protect yourself from identity theft.
Concerns About Relocation
Depending on where you live, employers may be concerned about your commute. If you are applying for a job in a big city, the employer may prefer applicants who can get to work quickly and easily without a long commute.
The same
The scenario applies to remote locations. If the job is in a small town in the middle of nowhere, the hiring manager may prefer candidates who do not have a long commute. If you do not mention an address, the employer will have no idea whether your commute is feasible or not.
When You’re in the Process of Relocation
When you’re relocating for a job as an out-of-town candidate, it’s important to do everything you can to make your resume stand out. If you do not mention your actual address but your employment history shows that all the positions you’ve held are hundreds of miles away from the employer’s location, the employer will wonder about the absence of your address.
If you do not have an address that you can use for the new location, it may be strategic to mention the fact that you are relocating in your cover letter. Another option is to include the phrase “in the process of relocating to Tampa, Florida” instead of your home address in another state.
Required vs. Optional Address Information
If you are applying for a job with the federal government, your home address is required information. Many other government jobs and civil service positions also require a permanent address.
Note: For jobs where local residency is a requirement, an address will be expected on your resume.
Some employers may specify where they want applicants to live when posting a job opportunity. For example: “must reside in the Greater New York area” or “must live in North Carolina.” If the job posting specifies a location, make it easy for the hiring manager to know where you live by including your address on your resume.
Some job postings may state that only candidates who submit a resume and cover letter will be considered. If your resume lacks information like the address that the hiring manager expects to see, you may be excluded from the running for the job before you even get a chance to interview.
When to Be Cautious About Your Address
The place and manner in which you apply for jobs can make a difference. For example, if you are sending your resume via email to a random job posting on Craigslist that mentions a personal email address rather than a professional one, you need to be cautious about including your actual address.
This especially applies if the job posting does not mention the name of the hiring company or organization. There are some significant red flags to watch out for when searching for jobs on Craigslist.
Researching Information About the Company
When applying directly to a hiring manager, on the company’s website, or when sending your resume to a contact within the company, include your email address. If you’re unsure, learn more about the company and the job and how to avoid scams before deciding whether to apply.
If you found the opportunity on a job board, check to see if the job is listed on the company’s website. If it is, apply directly on the company’s site. This way, your resume will not be funneled through a third-party job board. Instead, it will go directly to the company’s applicant tracking system.
When the job or company seems suspicious, search for the company’s name along with terms like scam and fraud to see if anyone has complained about the organization. Check the company reviews on Glassdoor to get a sense of the positive and negative aspects of the company from former employees.
Options When You Don’t Want to Use Your Address
There are
Many alternatives you can use instead of your actual address:
- No address (may be acceptable for a remote position)
- City / state (New York, New York)
- City / state / zip code (Cleveland, Ohio 44101)
- Region (Greater Salt Lake City area)
- Moving to city name (moving to Augusta, Georgia)
Helping Yourself Get a Job
When making decisions about what to include in your resume – whether to include your address or some positions you’ve held in the past or information that may
Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/should-you-include-your-address-on-your-resume-4155593
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