Including your home address on your resume was considered the standard for many years. But as we move to an increasingly virtual job search process, you might be wondering if you’ll be able to leave it off.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but the consensus among industry professionals is that you don’t need to include your complete address for most submissions. However, a lot depends on your particular situation and the job requirements you’re applying to.
Reasons to Omit Your Full Address
While it may seem like an old-fashioned habit, including some form of your home address on your resume is actually still a good idea. How much you divulge can be decided on a case-by-case basis, and there are several reasons why you might choose to omit your full physical address from your resume.
Protecting Your Personal Privacy
Gone are the days of stopping by an office to inquire about open positions and handing your professionally printed resume to a prospective manager. The majority of your submissions are going to be completed online.
Your resume will likely go through an applicant tracking system (ATS), then a recruiter, and possibly an executive assistant before making it to the hiring manager, leaving a lot of digital space and extra eyes on your information. As such, you might have legitimate concerns about fraud and identity theft. Wondering how to mitigate that threat?
Choosing Safer Digital Methods
Realistically, any digital communication is subject to hackers, and you can’t ever completely protect yourself. But you can lower your risks. For example, you should take extra care if you’re posting your resume on public job boards or responding to ads on sites without any vetting. Ensure that you’re never including your full address or other sensitive information.
This is especially true when you seek remote work where you might not think twice about only interacting online with the “company representatives” who might turn out to be criminals posting false opportunities. To help ensure that you’re enjoying a safe job search, stick to applying directly to companies you’ve researched or reputable job posting sites, such as FlexJobs, that vet the postings before you see them.
Avoiding Looking Outdated
Much like the “references available upon request” tagline, you might give a subtle signal to the recruiter that you haven’t stayed current with industry trends. Older job seekers and anyone taking a career break needs to have extra focus on appearing current. You’re already fighting bias and need every opportunity available to appear up to date with standards. Most recruiters will view your city and state or larger metro area as sufficient information for your initial resume.
Reasons You Might Include Your Address
That’s not to say that you’ll never be responding to a job posting where your full address would be appropriate or required. Even if you’re hesitant to do so, there are some times it would be beneficial to include it.
Applying to Local Roles
If you’re applying to a local company or for a position requiring frequent travel in the area, including your city and state may not be sufficient to let the employer know that you live close enough to make the commute. Consider larger metropolitan areas where you might face lengthy commutes from one suburb to another. An employer might be hesitant to hire someone if they can’t determine their specific geographical area.
Fulfilling a Submission Requirement
If you’re trying to get into government work, for instance, the application requirements often include a full physical address. It’s crucial to follow all submission requirements carefully, or you’re likely to be disqualified before getting to the first stage of the process. Some international companies and those with higher security concerns might also require a full address as they perform basic background screenings before passing your resume on to the recruiter for consideration.
How to Include Your Address
With each company having different requirements, it’ll be efficient to have several versions of your resume on file so that you can easily tailor them to each posting you’re responding to. You’ll include it at the top along with the rest of your contact information. Here are a few examples of different address formats you can choose from.
- City, State [Dallas, TX]
- City, State, Zip Code [Dallas, TX 12345]
- Complete Address [123 Main Street, Dallas, TX 12345]
- Relocating [Relocating to Dallas, TX metro area]
More: How to Mention Relocating in Your Job Search and Cover Letter
Be a Memorable Candidate
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that your resume is just one piece—albeit an essential one—of a more extensive application process.
By following each application submission’s requirements carefully and practicing safe digital habits, you can ensure that your resume is up to date and that your data is secure. Beyond that, give yourself the best chance to stand out to recruiters by thoroughly researching companies, protecting your personal brand, and networking throughout your industry.
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