An Address On A Resume: When to Include and Leave Out?

One of the first things we do while crafting a resume is to write our personal information, including full address, right on top. But should you include your address on a resume, or is it better to leave it out? Different people have different opinions on this; and there is no straightforward answer. Whether or not you should include your home address on a resume depends on the job posting, hiring manager, your location, and whether you are willing to relocate for the job.

Should You Include Address on a Resume

Traditionally, resumes were physical copies that were submitted to offices when applying for jobs and all subsequent communication by the prospective employer was done via physical mail to the address provided on the resume.

Agreed that these days physical mail has become somewhat redundant and most communication has now moved online, even for job seekers. However, it is quite likely that a hiring manager or prospective employer might be looking for a full address while perusing an applicant’s personal information.

According to research, recruiters receive an average of 250 applications per job posting. They spend about 6 minutes perusing each application and when they do go through an application, one of the first things they look for is contact information, including address. This is to determine how easily they will be able to contact an applicant. Some of them also believe that since they are looking for local candidates, they need not waste their time on candidates from far away.

On the other hand, many applicants might want to leave out their home address to protect their privacy; especially when applying for jobs on third party websites.

Why Employers May Want to Include an Address on Your Resume

Most employers might want to see an address on your resume because it is now an expected part of the hiring process. However, with evolving communication, the hiring process is also undergoing a sea change and hiring managers are more accepting of this piece of information being left out in the initial stages.

An address on the resume will give the recruiter or potential employer an idea of the candidate’s location, an important factor in the hiring process if they are specifically looking for a local candidate.

These days most recruiters create an applicant profile and use the information in their applicant tracking systems (ATS). Some employers use ATS to move a candidate through the hiring process; in the event, they do not onboard that candidate they might use his/her profile for future opportunities. A physical address is usually required in such cases, also most applicant tracking systems need information such as zip code, city, and state. Excluding the home address could put one at risk of being filtered out by the ATS.

How to Include Address on a Resume

In the event that you have decided to include your address on a resume then there are various ways of doing it.

• Include your full address at the beginning of your resume, right after you’ve listed your full name.
• In case you still have concerns regarding security and privacy but want to let the recruiter know where you are based then you could just mention the city and state that you live in instead of your full address.
• If you’re concerned the ATS might skip your profile altogether due to a lack of address then you could include the region you live in and the zip code as well.
• In case you are not a local but still want to apply for a position that you find irresistible then be sure to mention that you are willing to relocate below your address.
• If you are applying for a job posting in another country then be sure to mention your current country of residence along with the address and the fact that you are willing to or are looking to relocate internationally.

Sample Resume Header with Address

Name
Full Address
Phone Number
E-mail id
LinkedIn Profile

Pros of Including Your Address

• You have increased chances of getting an interview call since all your personal information is available, making it easier for recruiters to maintain their records. Leaving out your address could sometimes lead to recruiters rejecting your application citing incomplete information as a reason.
• It does not come across as though you’re hiding any information. When you leave out your address on a resume it might immediately trigger red flags in the minds of hiring managers.
• Most applicant tracking systems prefer full candidate information and that includes their physical address. According to research, nearly 40% of employers use ATS to screen candidates and ATS software usually filters resumes by locating a few key terms. Leaving out your address could put you on the back foot.
• Your address is needed for background checks and most employers, as many as 96% of them, do run a background check on potential candidates.
• Including your address immediately helps your potential employer gauge where you are located and whether your profile matches the opening they have based on location. Chances are some employers are looking for candidates in the same city or state.

Cons of Including Your Address

• Including your physical address feels outdated given we’re living in the digital age and almost all communication is online these days; either via e-mail or a tech platform that employers use.
• Including your home address might pose a security risk since a lot of us apply for jobs using third party websites such as job search portals. One isn’t always sure of the security measures taken by these platforms. There is also the risk of identity theft.
• If an employer is looking for local candidates only, including your address could put you out of the running before you’ve even had a chance to prove that you might be the ideal candidate for the job or that you are willing to relocate should the need arise.
• It takes up precious space on your resume. Especially, when you are trying to keep it concise.

When to Leave out Your Address off a Resume

While it is true that some companies might not consider applicants who don’t provide complete information in their resume there are instances when it is acceptable to leave out your home address when crafting your resume. Since providing your address, including city, state, and zip code, is sensitive information you should decide based on your comfort level whether you want to include it in your resume or not.

In several cases, an employer may not need your full address right until they are ready to onboard you; in that case, you could provide them your home address in the application form. Here are a few instances when it is all right to withhold your address in the initial stages of recruitment:

• It is all right to leave out your address if you are concerned about security. Ensure that you have provided other personal information such as your phone number and e-mail id so a recruiter can contact you easily.
• There may be several reasons why you might want to keep your address private. If listing it makes you uncomfortable then feel free to exclude it.
• If you have found a job posting on a third-party website or platform then it might be wise to leave out your address. It would be safer to find the same posting on a company’s website or page, which might be more secure.

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Sample Resume Header without Address

Full Name: Richard Buble
Phone: 1234567890
E-mail: richard_buble@emailhere.com
LinkedIn: LinkedIn URL here

Conclusion

While your concerns regarding security and privacy are well-founded it should also be important to find a way to get your resume through a company’s ATS or get a potential employer interested without triggering doubts about withholding information. So if including your address will increase your chance of getting shortlisted for an interview then you should include one.

The best way to determine whether or not to include your address in your resume is to decide based on each job posting and gauging what a recruiter is looking for in applications. If you are still very concerned about the authenticity of a job posting, it will be best for you to check the veracity of the posting by looking up the company website or page for the same. Additionally, you could also look at a company’s reviews and see if you come across any disconcerting reviews that talk about job scams that other job seekers might have posted about or give you any reason to be on your guard.

Related :

• Mistakes to Avoid in a Resume
• How to Choose the Best Resume Format for a Job