If You Are Relocating Should You Put Your Real Address On Your Resume
Now for the more complicated question about addresses on resumes when youre moving. As discussed, there can be a bias in favor of local candidates and against out of state ones.
This makes people wonder if they should lie about their location, put a friends address on the resume, etc.
I definitely do not recommend this approach. If you land an interview, the best case scenario, youre going to either have to explain that you lied on your resume about your address or somehow keep up the charade that you actually live in the area, which can be extremely costly and inconvenient.
I have a simple fix for this that will get you the best of both worlds: the ability to be honest while still giving your reader the indication that youll be just as convenient to hire as a local candidate.
youre letting them know that this is part of your plan. Keep in mind that the timeframe you choose should be in the coming months and not too far away. I like using seasons because they allow for a level of vagueness that still sounds like its coming up quickly.
Companies arent going to wait 6 months or more for you to move. Most are looking to hire ASAP.
Just to clarify, putting this on your resume doesnt mean you have to move without a job but it does show a level of commitment to getting to that area that recruiters will be happy to see.
Important note: If you take this approach and your job search takes a few months, remember to adjust the time period!
Embedded Charts And Images
While these design elements may look nice to the human eye, resumes with embedded images become a garbled mess, or get completely omitted from your application, after they pass through ATS. In addition, recruiters don’t want to see a pictorial and rather subjective representation of your skills like the second resume I review in this video. Save your creativity for your online portfolio and don’t include images in your resume.
Should You Remove Your Physical Address From Your Resume
Executive & Leadership Coach who helps individuals take ownership of their leadership and career.
Dear Coach Wolfgang, a friend of mine told me to take off my physical address from my resume. Should I?
A very timely question! The answer is… it depends. There is no physical address rule you must follow on your resume . Resume formats change with the times and whether or not to include physical address is one of those questions that would not have been asked even a few years ago. The mailing address used to be necessary for companies to send you an interview request or a No Thank You letter. Those practices no longer exist. Now this type of correspondence is completed via the phone or electronic communication.
There are some reasons to consider including your physical address on your resume and other reasons to leave it off. I also posed this question to fellow resume experts and career coaches and have summarized their opinions below.
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Are There Any Advantages Of Including Your Address
As weve seen above, there are many reasons why recruiters are looking for your address on your resume. There are also many reasons why you may wish to omit your address on your resume. While all of these points remain true, there are advantages for both you and the recruiter when including your address on your resume.
When Should You Include Your Country On Your Address
If youre relocating or willing to relocate internationally, write your country into the address section of your resume.
While some might think its a risk, its better to be upfront about where youre currently based and your intentions when it comes to moving for your job.
Example
69 Wrexham Rd, Fairholm, ML9 2ZX United Kingdom
Relocating to Baltimore, MD 21202 in September 2019
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Job Listings Where The Listed Contact Information Is A Personal Email
Recruiters, whether they work for an agency or in-house for a specific company, usually have a work email address. They wont use a personal email for hiring purposes.
Dont include personal details on your resume when the job posters email isnt a professional work email, especially if you found the job on free ad sites like Craigslist. Sites that dont require payment for listing attract a lot of scammers, because you dont have to pay or provide a lot of information to create a posting.
You should also be careful if the job ad doesnt list a company or location on the job ad. What could they be hiding?
It Poses A Security Risk
If youre applying for your job through a third party, like a job search board, you may feel apprehensive about writing your address because youre not sure how many people will have access to your resume.
If this causes you to feel unsafe, or if you would like to go through more privacy protections before disclosing your address, exercise your right to abstain from giving out your address.
One concern you may not have considered when deciding whether to write your address on your resume is the possibility of identity theft. If youre worried about this happening to you, check out the Identity Theft Resource Centers tips on protecting your identity while job searching.
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Applying For Jobs Out Of State This Resume Tip Can Help
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Your resume is extremely important in finding a job and is the biggest factor in whether you get the interview or not. Living in one state and applying for jobs out of state makes it even more vital.
And one of the biggest hurdles is how to list your location on your resume when applying for jobs in a different state.
A question on this topic was emailed to me by a reader last week:
Hi Biron. Im living in San Francisco and trying to move to Denver. The problem Im running into is that Im not receiving any interviews and Im guessing its because there are local applicants that are equally qualified. I believe I can interview better than them and prove myself but I need to get into the interviews. My address and phone number on my resume are a dead giveaway that Im living in the Bay Area. Do you recommend that I lie on my resume to get a job interview?
Should You Include Your Address On Your Resume Or Not
It seems that since the dawn of time, resumes havent changed that much. You start with your name gracing the top, front and center, then right below you include your address, phone number, and email in the header. Lately, however, weve been reading a lot of recommendations that say you should remove that address from your resume. So, today were diving into the pros and cons of having your address listed on your resume so that next time you do a refresh, you can make an informed decision about whats best for you.
YES include it!The pros for leaving your address on your resume are largely situational. If you are applying to a job that is local to your area, it can be a bonus to leave it on there. Companies like to know that you could easily make it in for an in-person interview and they wouldnt have to pay to relocate you.If youre submitting an application along with your resume that specifies address as a required field, you must fill it out, fully and truthfully. Having your resume match this information can provide cohesiveness.
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How To Include Your Address On A Resume Without Harming Your Job Search
Clarity is key when it comes to providing your address on a resume.
When deciding what format to use when writing your address, consider the following:
- Will location or proximity effect your candidacy?
- Are you planning to move in the near future?
- Are you uncomfortable sharing your exact address?
Sharing your address is ultimately another way to convey information to employers.
The different formatting options we have discussed each have their own benefits depending on the context.
If you are unsure of your employerâs expectations, opting for the âCity, Stateâ format may be best.
This provides a clear answer for where you are located without divulging too much personal information.
The âCity, Stateâ format will also enable you to pass ATS scanning!
Though a formal street address is certainly preferred by ATS, having location keywords can also do the trick.
Privacy Concerns And The City State Solution
Now that snail mail has no part in the application process, your street address is not necessary. Employers will need your address in the onboarding stage for tax purposes, but not before then. Thats good news for applicants with privacy or discrimination concerns.
However, we do recommend including your city and state for the reasons described above.
Heres what that looks like:
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What To Include In Your Contact Information Section
- All relevant information: Include your full name, street address, city, state, and zip code. Also, include your phone number and email address. If you have a profile or personal website, include these URLs in your contact section as well.
- Name: If you go by a name other than your given name, you can use this in your resume. However, whatever name you choose, be consistent. It should be the name on all of your job application documents, including any cover letters, business cards, professional websites, etc. You might also use your full name, but if using a nickname, put it in parenthesis. For example, your name on your resume might read: James Santinello.
- Mailing address: Use a permanent mailing address on your resume. If you’re a student, you might include both your permanent address and your school address. Be sure to include any important details to your address, such as an apartment number.
If you’re concerned about privacy, consider listing just the city and state. For example, your address might read: Tampa, Florida. If you are relocating to the area, you can include that information in your resume in the address line, e.g., Relocating to Tampa, Florida.
Where You Live Matters To Potential Employers And Could Make
“Should I put my address on my resume?” is a question many job seekers ask when preparing their resume for a job search. While you’ve no doubt heard people emphasize the importance of “location, location, location” in any number of situations, the answer here is not so straightforward, with both pros and cons associated with including this personal information. Weigh these considerations before deciding whether or not to put your address on a professional resume.
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Best Email Domain For Resume
You want your email address to make the right impression, which is why it is best if you go with Gmail or your own domain instead of a more outdated domain such as AOL.
I think the easiest way is to make an email account with Gmail.
This is super easy to set up.
Just fill in a few things:
and you are all set!
Why Should You Still Include Your Location On Your Resume
Even if youre not listing your full address on a resume, adding your location helps recruiters and hiring managers make decisions about their workforce says Muse career coach Matthew Ford. So if your location makes you a better potential hire, you should share that information. For example, some jobs have long hours and are centered around your presence in the office, Ford says, so showing you live in the area might signal, rightly or not, that youd be more available to make this work than someone who lives much farther away.
Local candidates are the safest candidates, Liou says. Companies always want to identify local talent first because theres no need to wait for them to relocate or to pay a relocation package. Youre also less likely to leave if you dont have a long or difficult commute: One survey found that 23% of workers have quit a job due to a bad commute.
As such, many recruiters will start to narrow down the pool of applicants who applied for a job by searching within a few miles of the offices city or zip code in the applicant tracking system , Liou says. ATSs are the programs many recruiters and companies use to keep track of applicants and to search submitted resumes for certain keywords or attributes, such as your geographic location.
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Personal Advantage: Database Searches
Data that is provided to the recruiter typically will pass through an ATS of which will record key pieces of information and allow for a data profile to be created of all applicants. This can become of benefit for you down the line if you havent been offered a job straight away. Recruiters will use this database to search for previous applicants with key traits that may be suitable for a different job. In this way, it keeps the conversation between you and the recruiter open indefinitely.
Employers Know How Long Your Commute Will Be
When employers do some further digging into the location of your address, they could also be doing a quick calculation of how long your daily commute would be. This can work against you if your daily commute is long. Employers know that people who travel a significant distance to work are often tired and stressed, which are two factors that can cause employees to quit early. Obviously, this potential problem can throw up a red flag for employers.
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Note That Youre Relocating To
If youre not local but still want to be considered a viable candidate, simply include a line that states Relocating to City, State in Month, Year near the top of your resume. Add the likely zip code to increase your chances of appeasing the ATS.
Examples
- Relocating to Baltimore, MD in September 2019
- Relocating to Baltimore, MD 21202 in September 2019
If youre moving for work, youll need to write a persuasive relocation cover letter too.
Outdated Or Irrelevant Social Media Profiles
Do not include on your resume social media accounts that host unprofessional content, do not support your current job goals, and are not regularly updated. If you’re going to include the URL to a social media account on your resume, make sure it reflects your personal brand and serves to demonstrate why you’re qualified for the job.
In addition, create at least one professional online profile on sites like LinkedIn or GitHub and include the link at the top of your resume. If you work in a creative field, consider creating an online portfolio or blog that has a mobile-responsive design so employers can access your site from any device.
Related:
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Include Only The City And State
If youre worried about people tracking you down by your exact address, you can also simply leave just the city and state you live in. That way, employers know roughly how long your commute is, and whether or not youre a local candidate. If you want to be careful, you can leave your zip code, since some ATS software uses zip codes for screening applicants.
Examples
- Baltimore, MD 21202
Can Clog Up Your Resumes Visual Flow
Depending on how much information is already on your resume, the addition of an address may result in a flawed or unsightly design.
If your resume is already packed with information but you know you are going to need to include an address, it may be time to edit.
The ideal length for a standard resume is one page. If including your address pushes your resume outside of this limit, you will need to find a way to whittle it down more.
The truth is that your layout does matter. It can affect everything from employer first impressions to how well an ATS can read and categorize your resume.
Paying close attention to the visual flow of your resume is key!
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Should You Include Your Address If Youre Relocating
You should still include your current city, state, and zip code even if youâre relocating. If you have a place secured and are absolutely certain about moving, you can include your new city, state, and zip code.
You can also include the city youâre relocating to along with the month and year.
Example:
Anything That Wont Stay Relevant
Do not use your school email address!
Some schools only let you keep that email for a certain period of time after you graduate, and then they will deactivate it. You dont want potential employers to not be able to contact you.
Dont use your work email address! Once you leave that company, then that email address will no longer be relevant. Plus, you dont want your current company to know that you are job searching.
You want to be able to stick with the same email address throughout your job search.
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Should You Include Your Address On Your Cv
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Content Manager and Career Expert
The job search process has changed greatly over the past decade hiring managers and recruiters expect candidates to compact as much information as possible into a two-page CV and are more critical of your skills and experience than ever before. And with job ads moving from store windows to online job boards and company websites, opportunities are now more accessible to everyone making competition for jobs much tighter.
Creating a top-notch CV is, therefore, essential. But as we focus on things like employment history and skills, were left perplexed about all the small details which leads us to the question: should you include your address on your CV or not?
Below weve covered the pros and cons of including your address on your CV, as well as formatting instructions and a few key examples.