resume format with address

How to List Address on a Resume in 2024 – Format, Pro Tips & Examples

In This Guide:

What is the right way to add an address to your resume

What are the advantages of including an address on your resume

What are the disadvantages of including an address on your resume

When is it mandatory to put a physical address on your resume

Are there alternatives to providing your home address on a resume

What to put on your resume if you are relocating

What others did to get hired

Bottom line.

So you're ready to start applying for your next job. But you're not sure about the correct format to use for the address on your resume. Or you may even wonder if you should include one in the first place.

To make you feel better, these are common questions that applicants ask during their job hunt. Besides, even HR experts have contrasting opinions about physical addresses on resumes.

Today's guide will provide a thorough explanation of how to put your address on a resume. We'll also go over the pros and cons of revealing your location and how that may affect your job search success.

Let's get started.

The short answer

To include an address on your resume, place it in the header or contact information section at the top , using a consistent format. Consider privacy concerns and whether to include only your city and state.

Ensure the address aligns with your resume's overall design and if you think it's relevant, use an address local to the company (for example, if you're relocating for the job in question).

What is the right way to add an address to your resume?

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First things first, you must know where the address should come on the page before you think about how to write it. This is important because each section in your resume has to showcase specific details about you.

In the case of your address of residence, it should always be featured in the resume header . This makes it easier for recruiters to find your location with the rest of your contact details.

There have been major developments in how resumes are written over the past few decades. You can clearly see that difference if you take a closer look at how addresses on resumes are formatted today.

With the current trends, job applicants are no longer required to include their full physical addresses. That's simply due to how easier it is for employers to reach out to applicants online throughout the hiring process.

So if you're applying for a job in the U.S. or Canada, you only have to include the city and state you live in. This format is best because it keeps your contact details safe while giving the employer the information they need.

Your address should look something like this:

• New York City, NY
• Anjou, Montreal
• Chicago, IL

In other parts of the world, you may be required to add a more precise location. For example, it's common for job seekers in Europe to put their complete addresses including the street and Zip code. The reason for that are their strict GDPR laws that keep safe personal information like resumes.

Recommended reads

Perfecting Your Resume Header so You Get Noticed

What are the advantages of including an address on your resume?

Prove that you live nearby.

Long commutes to work every day will have a negative toll on any employee, no matter how motivated they are at the start. It can also be a cause of a lot of absenteeism and a lack of overall productivity.

Because of that, recruiters hiring for on-site positions are concerned about the location of their applicants. In fact, this is one of the biggest reasons why addresses are still required to this day.

A hiring company can ask for specific locations in the job description. By showing that you live nearby the area, you'll put yourself ahead of most applicants that don't feature an address.

Leave a pleasant impression with an in-person interview

Being a local applicant grants you a major advantage when it comes to making a strong lasting impression. While virtual meetings were on the rise during the pandemic, more and more companies are going back to physical interviews to hire candidates.

When you meet the recruiter in person for an interview, you'll be able to establish trust quickly and move to the more important stuff. You'll also have the chance to showcase your best personality traits and interpersonal skills.

Make yourself easily reachable

By providing the correct address on your resume, you'll make it easy for recruiters to reach out to you. This is especially true in many parts of the world where sending documents via physical mail is still a common practice.

Get past applicant tracking systems (ATS)

A correct address on your resume won't only make you look good to recruiters, but also to applicant tracking systems (ATS).

An ATS is a tool that companies use to filter through long lists of candidates quickly and identify the best ones from the pack. It relies on keywords to scan resume pages and find applicants that meet all the requirements.

So by including the required location in the header, you can easily get past the automated screening phase. That can help you land a lot more interviews and increase your job success rate significantly.

What are the disadvantages of including an address on your resume?

You'll become an easy target for discrimination.

By the end of the day, recruiters are only human and can make bad decisions. They're likely to fall for certain biases without even knowing them when selecting candidates for a job.

One example of how that may happen is discrimination based on location. Perhaps the hiring manager has had a few negative experiences with applicants from your area. Or maybe they just have incorrect prejudgments about your neighborhood or city.

Even if unintended, discrimination is still a current problem in the hiring industry. That's why job searchers often have to think twice before putting an address on their resumes.

You'll limit your job search to certain geographical locations

You can think about this as a glass that's both half empty and half full. Putting an address on your resume does have its own benefits when you live close by. But it can also be a cause for rejection whenever applying for jobs that require a long daily commute.

Unless hiring for a remote position, companies usually pay close attention to the location of the candidates. This allows them to minimize relocation costs and guarantee that their employees won't miss any work days.

You'll find it difficult to keep your personal life private

The biggest concern for job applicants who put an address on their resumes is privacy.

The thought of having your contact details plus your location available online can be stressful. When you upload your resume to a job board, you never know who's on the other end to read it. So you need to be careful about sabotaging your own privacy.

Keeping your personal and professional lives separate should always be a priority. But when you add an address to your resume, you're basically putting it online for anyone to see. There are many instances when keeping your home address private may be necessary.

When is it mandatory to put a physical address on your resume?

To be honest, highlighting your location on a resume does have its pitfalls. But despite those disadvantages, showing your address can sometimes be the only way to get shortlisted and hired for the job.

Here are four situations where your contact details must include a correct address:

If the hiring company is concerned about relocation costs

Companies have their own struggles when it comes to hiring quality candidates. And one of their primary concerns is how much they're going to invest in a new employee that's far from their location.

The truth is, you'll probably struggle to make it past the screening phase if you use your real address in this case. However, many companies are open to hiring experienced applicants who are open to relocating. Even better, some organizations may offer you a relocation package when they see how valuable you can be to their business.

To show that you're willing to relocate, you need to add a note next to your address in the header. You may also mention that in the cover letter to explain how and when you'll be relocating.

How do you know if the company is concerned about relocation?

Start by reading the job offer, and you'll find that mentioned somewhere, usually under requirements.

Another way to get informed about the employer's hiring policies is to look that up online if the business is popular. Or you can ask current employees and try to learn more from past experiences to see whether relocating can be a solution.

If the job offer asks for specific locations

If your job requires your physical presence, hiring companies will expect you to live in nearby areas. That's how they can ensure you'll miss minimal days at work and that you'll always have the energy to excel at the position.

The hiring manager may write something like “must live in X, Y, or Z.”

For positions like this, the job offer will emphasize how important it is to reside in specific locations. But even if it doesn't, it's mandatory for you to include a physical address if you want to gain an advantage over the rest of the applicants.

Keep in mind

If the job you're specifically applying for specifically asks for an address you should list no more than a single address on your resume. And it has to match the company’s location. Even if you want to be thorough in your resume, putting two addresses in the header will only confuse recruiters.

If you're applying for a government job

For government jobs, the home address is a crucial part of your contact details — along with your email and phone number. In fact, some federal positions may even require you to include a permanent address including your street name.

The good news is, you don't have to worry much about your privacy since the government isn't a private party. So you can create a separate resume and use it only for federal job offers.

If your job involves working with the public

Despite the rise of remote jobs and work-from-home positions, the majority of occupations today still require physical presence. That includes jobs in public service such as firefighters, law enforcement officers, social workers, public school teachers, etc.

When hiring for these positions, companies will want to know your location to guarantee culture fit and your knowledge of the area. For example, post offices prefer hiring local drivers who know the ins and outs of each street in the city.

Are there alternatives to providing your home address on a resume?

The truth is that if you play your cards right, you can land any job you’re qualified for. And that's despite the address you use or whether you put one in the first place. There are a few solutions for job seekers to keep their information safe and make recruiters happy.

Here are three easy ways to get away with not putting a home address on your resume:

List a generic physical address

It's important to keep in mind that recruiters no longer use physical addresses to reach out to applicants. The primary reason a company may want to know your location is to assess proximity.

So a simple alternative here would be to provide a nonspecific address to serve as a point of reference. In other words, you'll inform the hiring organization that you live in the vicinity — but without giving them your exact location.

You can use the address format we shared with you in the examples above, which is "City, State."

If you intend on applying for jobs overseas, listing just your country can be enough to make it past the initial screening phase.

Use a temporary P.O. box

The truth of the matter is, some organizations may still use the physical address to contact applicants. This is especially true in traditional industries or countries that are still behind technologically.

The solution? Put a temporary P.O. box as your resume address so you can receive important documents in the mail. You can easily get one at your local office for a low cost and use it as your home address throughout your job hunt.

Include a LinkedIn profile URL

Featuring a LinkedIn URL in the header is a must — even if you're not worried about your address. It's an excellent way to showcase skills and recent accomplishments while keeping your resume short.

But despite those obvious benefits, this practice can grant you another advantage when it comes to contact details. LinkedIn is an ideal solution if you're moving a lot while hunting for jobs in different locations. While you can update PDF or physical resumes in real-time, your online profile can keep all recruiters updated with your current location.

Your online profiles on social media can have a huge impact on your job application — especially in the final stages. Take a few minutes of your time to check out the recruiter check quiz on our platform. It’s a quick survey that will help you make your online presence appealing to all recruiters.

What to put on your resume if you are relocating?

The address in your resume is expected to show your current location of residence. And that's despite the format you use or where you'll put the address. So unless you give recruiters a clear hint, they're all going to assume that you're not open to relocating.

To show that you’re moving to a new city or state, you can simply add “Relocating to” before your address. For example, if you’re moving to New Jersey for the new job, you can write “Relocating to Newark, NJ.”

Case study: Ramsey's product manager resume

When applying for his dream job at American Express, Ramsey used a semi-general location in his resume header. This allowed him to inform recruiters that he lives nearby the area and can always make it to work on time.

The best part is that Ramsey didn't have to reveal any sensitive information about where he lives. This format ensures the perfect balance between generic and informative.

Further reading

• Product Manager Resume

Case study: Mia’s research assistant resume

In her application for postdoctoral research, Mia included the address of her research department at the University of York. Because there was no requirement for her home address, she didn't have to give away her own privacy. The final result? Mia got accepted for the position and is taking advantage of further opportunities.

• Research Assistant Resume

Case study: Adam's IT resume

Because the job offer required applicants to live in Derbyshire, Adam had to add a location to his IT sales resume. But since he used a generic address format, he was still able to meet the requirements without having to deal with privacy concerns.

Featuring the home address on resumes has always been a gray area among job search experts. There are many cases where showing your current location is a must for getting hired. But on the flip side, your address is a sensitive piece of data that should be kept private.

As a rule of thumb, you should only add one address to your resume. The best format for that is to include your city and state like the examples shown above.

If you're relocating, be sure to give hints about that in the header, the cover letter, and even the interview. This will help you demonstrate to recruiters that you're a perfect match for their ideal candidate requirements.

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Ask Amanda: How Should I Format My Contact Information on a Resume?

6 min read · Updated on March 21, 2024

When hiring managers want to reach out to you, help them know where to look.

Q: How should I write my name, address, and social media on my resume?

Is there a right way to add your name and address on a resume? And if so, how should I format them? – Tamara D.

When you're writing a resume , it's important to include all of your pertinent contact information at the top so employers and recruiters can easily locate it. While this resume tip may seem obvious, a TopResume study found that one in four people either forget to include all of the necessary details or fail to format them in a way that can be detected by the software employers use to organize and manage their inbound applications.

Below is everything you need to know about including contact information on a resume and formatting it for success.

What to include in your resume contact information section

Include your first and last name on your resume. If you have a very common name – think “James Smith” or “Maria Garcia” – consider including your middle name or middle initial to help distinguish you from the other 30,000+ professionals who share your full name.

Preferred Name: If you typically use a preferred name at work, it's perfectly acceptable to list that name instead of your legal name on your resume. For instance, some professionals continue to use their maiden name at work after they've married and legally changed their last name to that of their spouse. Others prefer to go by a nickname for their first name to avoid gender bias or racial discrimination during the job search.

Examples: How to Write Your Name on Your Resume

Maeve (Nelson) Hunter | Maeve Nelson | Maeve Hunter

William H. Keener, Jr. | Bill Keener, Jr. | William Keener

Allie Bostwick | Allison (Allie) Bostwick | Allison Bostwick

S. Schaffer | Sam Schaffer | Samantha Schaffer

Khalid “Kal” Hassan | Khalid Hassan | Kal Hassan

Credentials as Suffixes: If you have earned an advanced degree or certification that is required for or considered desirable in your field, be sure to include its initials after your name. By mentioning this credential at the top of your resume and elaborating on its details further down in the document, you're increasing the chances that recruiters will notice this important selling point during their initial, cursory review of your job application. For example:

Joshua Eggleston, RN

Avery Thiele, PMP, SSGB

Jesse Warch, MBA

However you decide to write your name on your resume, be consistent. Your name should be represented the same way on your business cards, cover letters, email signature, relevant social media channels, blog or portfolio, and so forth.

Mailing Address

I've been asked numerous times how to write an address on a resume, but the truth is that it's no longer necessary to include your full mailing address. These days, many job seekers avoid adding all of this contact information because of concerns over identity theft or personal security, while others want to use that valuable resume space for other details that promote their qualifications.

If you're looking for a job within a commutable distance from your home, include your city, state, and zip code on your resume. If you're conducting a long-distance job search or you're open to relocation, you may opt to not include any mailing address information at all.

Related:   The Essential Parts of a Resume, Explained

Email Address

If you're still using an old AOL or Hotmail address to manage your email, it's time for an upgrade . Create a new, professional-looking email address for all your job-search activities with a modern provider like Gmail. Where possible, incorporate your name or your specialty into your email address, such as “[email protected]” or “[email protected].”

Phone Number

Never use your work phone number on your resume –– that's the quickest way to make your confidential job search not-so-confidential. Instead, include your personal cell phone number. That way, you have control over the voicemail message, who answers the phone, and when it is answered. When setting up your voicemail, be sure to include your name in the message so employers know they have called the right person.

When it comes to listing your phone number on your resume, there are a number of different formats that are considered acceptable:

555-867-5309 | (555) 867-5309 | 555.867.5309

You can also choose to put a label in front of your phone number such as “Tel:”, “Ph:”, “Phone:”, “C:”, or “M:” (for mobile).

Social Media

Including social media on a resume has become commonplace. In fact, studies show that most recruiters will search for your online profiles before deciding whether to interview you. By including the most relevant social media links on your resume, you're saving recruiters time and providing them with the details they care about. Start by adding the link to your public LinkedIn profile . Other social media accounts should only be mentioned on your resume if they're related to your profession. If you work in a creative field, for example, consider adding a link to your online portfolio or blog as well. Whichever links you decide to include on your resume, be sure that they will support, rather than sabotage, your job-search efforts and that they are kept up to date.

How to format your resume contact information

Place your contact information at the very top of your resume so recruiters can't miss it. If you're using Word, be sure to not place these important details in the header section of the document, as not all applicant tracking systems are able to properly read and parse information stored in this section of a Word document.

Place your name at the top of this section, using a larger font size than the other pieces of contact information so that it stands out. Depending on how much space you have to work with, you can place the rest of your contact details in one or two lines, located just below your name. Below are a few examples of how you can format the contact information on your resume.

Resume Contact Information, Example 1:

Resume Contact Information, Example 2:

Resume Contact Information, Example 3:

Click on the following link to view all of our resume samples and see the many ways you can format your name and address on a resume.

Need help formatting your resume for success? TopResume's expert writers can help .

Amanda Augustine is a certified professional career coach (CPCC) and resume writer (CPRW) and the resident career expert for Talent Inc.'s suite of brands: TopResume , TopCV , and TopInterview . On a regular basis, she answers user questions like the one above. Have a question? Take a look at her career advice or ask a question on her Quora page .

Recommended Reading:

Here's the Right Way to Format Your Resume

Ask Amanda: How Do I Format Multiple Locations for One Employer?

Why You Shouldn't Write Your Own Resume

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See how your resume stacks up.

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Pros & Cons of Adding an Address To Your Resume: 2024 Resume Tips

Adding an address to your resume can help you in your job search. Here are some tips from a recruiter on what you should and should not include when adding your address.

2 years ago   •   9 min read

When it comes to building your resume, there's a lot of information out there on what you should and shouldn't include. To make things even more complicated, a lot of resume advice still being passed around is based on outdated hiring practices. So, how necessary is it to add an address to your resume in 2024?

Should you add your address to your resume?

The short answer is: No, you don't need to add an address to your resume.

In today’s workforce, most communication is done via email or phone, which makes the need for a full address outdated. Instead, you should list a general location on your resume, such as city and state, or city and country.

That being said, there are still some situations when an address might be needed. Such as:

• If location matters for the role : For jobs requiring a local presence or knowledge, listing at least a general location is recommended.
• If you're relocating to a new city : Indicate your planned relocation address if you're applying for jobs in a city you intend to move to.
• When applying to local companies : If the company is known for its traditional approach or strongly prefers local candidates, including your address can be beneficial.

You should leave your address off your resume:

• For remote or global applications : If you're applying for remote work, your physical location is often irrelevant.
• If you're searching for jobs in various locations: If your job search includes various regions or states, including a specific address may limit your opportunities.
• If your address isn't stable : For those who travel frequently or don't have a permanent location, omitting an address can avoid confusion.

If you’re wondering what else, like your address, should be added or left off your resume, upload it to the tool below — it’ll scan your resume and tell you what’s missing and what needs to be included.

Listing an address on your resume: Pros & Cons

There are still some potential benefits to listing an address — or at least a general location — on your resume:

• It’s the workplace standard. If left off, it risks raising red flags . More traditional companies and older hiring managers in particular may expect to see it, so if applying to one of these companies, consider keeping your full address on your resume.
• It’s used by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) . ATS filters use the listed location to filter out non-local applicants.
• It affects the company. Even if a job is remote, some companies may still want employees to be available for in-person meetings or events. Different states also have different employment laws, which means companies may only be hiring applicants based in certain regions.
• It shows that you're local. This can be important to employers who are worried about the effects of a long commute, or where local knowledge is a plus.

On the flip side, here's why not to add your address to your resume:

• It’s outdated. Companies no longer need this information to contact you — your email and phone number are sufficient.
• It's unnecessary. This is especially true if you're applying for remote positions. By not including your full address, you now have additional space to add in an extra line or two of information that highlights your skills.
• Location bias. It's unlikely, but a full address creates the possibility for a hiring manager’s potential bias against an area, and can hurt your chances of landing the job. It also helps to leave your location off your resume if you aren't local or want to avoid concerns about a long commute.
• Online privacy. Online privacy is a big deal and should be considered whenever you post your name and address online. Using your full home address on your resume could open you up to identity theft, scammers, unwanted marketing, or spam, especially if your resume is posted to public forums.
• Safety concerns. Once your resume is sent out, you lose control over who can and can’t view it. This goes double for resumes posted publicly on job boards like Indeed, or if the job posting leaves you questioning its authenticity. If it seems sketchy, the last thing you want is your personal information falling into the wrong hands. Here are some tips on finding legitimate job board websites .

How to add your address to your resume

Formatting a resume is almost as important as the information you provide. Here's what you need to know:

• Don't list your full address.
• List your general location — city, state, or geographic region are all fine.
• Include your location in your resume header along with relevant contact information such as phone number, email, and LinkedIn profile.
• If you're planning on relocating , list your location as the city you're moving to.
• If you're working remotely, list your home address or 'Remote.'
• Keep your location updated on LinkedIn – especially if you're currently job searching.

Tips for formatting your address

There are several variations of how you can format your address. Here are a few to help you get started. City, state. This is the most common way of formatting an address on your resume.

San Francisco, CA

City, country. This format is also fine, especially if you're applying for jobs outside the United States.

Wilmington, USA

Geographic region. For jobs in the United States, you can place your general geographic region. This is less standard but works just fine.

Chicagoland Area

Zip Code or full address. The workforce might be trending away from this, but it is still perfectly normal to include it.

555 Main Street, Anywhere, AR 00000

How to list your address if you're relocating

When applying for jobs in a city you plan to relocate to, always include that city as your address. This prevents ATS filters from flagging your resume for not having a local address.

Option 1: Mention that you're relocating and include an expected timeframe.

Relocating to Chicago, IL in Spring 2024

Option 2: List your location as the city you're moving to without mentioning where you currently live.

Chicago, IL

If you frequently move, it’s best to choose a long-term address, such as a family home or a P.O. box, to maintain consistency in your applications. Listing a general location, such as a city or state, is also easier for frequent movers, as it can be updated less often.

How to list your address if you work remotely

Whether you need to list your location when you're working remotely will vary according to the company. If you're not sure, check the job listing — if a location is specified, or if there's a list of locations where employees should be based, always include your address.

To include your address: List the location where you live or are mostly based (your residential home for tax purposes).

New York, NY

To omit your address: If you travel a lot or otherwise prefer to leave your address off your resume, list 'Remote' along with your time zone.

Remote (ET time zone)

How to list your address if you're applying internationally

For international job applications, it's essential to format your address in a way that is clear and understandable to employers in the country you're applying to. General locations are far more relevant than full street addresses.

Option 1: List your general area, including city and country.

Vancouver, Canada

Option 2: If your local town is small, choose the closest large city or your state/province.

Option 3: You can also simply list your country and time zone.

Canada, PST Time Zone

What other information to include in your resume header

Along with your address, there are a few other pieces of information you should include in your resume header .Let’s break down what to include, what is optional, what you should leave off.

Here's what to include :

• Phone Number
• Email Address

These items are aimed at providing prospective employers with the best ways to contact you.

Here's what you can include, but don't have to :

• LinkedIn Profile
• Portfolio Or Professional Website

While not necessary, these items allow prospective employers an additional look at any skills you might bring to the table.  

Here's what to leave off:

• Full Street Address
• Personal Details– birth date, marital status, gender
• Social Media Links– Twitter, Facebook
• Multiple Phone Numbers Or Email Addresses

These items open the door to possible discrimination. In the case of multiple phone numbers or email addresses, it might cause confusion as to which is the best way to contact you.

How to list your location on LinkedIn

In the current job market, job seekers can expect to find more opportunities for remote work and job leads from LinkedIn. Keep the previous information in mind when searching for these roles or updating your LinkedIn profile .

Use the LinkedIn Optimization tool to ensure your location is up to date on the platform.

Alternatives to listing your street address on your resume

Some industries or applications might still require a street address on your resume. In that case, here are some creative alternatives to listing your actual home address to balance the need for a geographical location with concerns for privacy and security.

• A P.O. Box: A post office box provides a physical address for employers without revealing your home location.
• Professional mailbox services: These services provide an actual street address, which can look more professional than a P.O. Box.
• A virtual mailbox: These services offer a physical address where your mail is sent before being scanned and sent to you online. Ideal for remote workers or frequent movers.
• Co-working spaces: If you regularly use a co-working space, it can serve as a professional and stable mailing address.
• Address of a trusted contact: For those currently moving or planning to move soon, using a trusted friend or family member's address can work as a replacement for your address, until you're settled.

The relevance of including a physical address in different industries and roles

The importance of including a physical address on your resume will vary depending on your industry, your level, and the nature of your work. Generally, roles that require face-to-face client interaction are more likely to require a physical address than those that don't.

For entry-level applicants, including a physical address is less critical, especially if applying for remote positions. Mid to high-level candidates often have more established professional networks and specific location-based expertise. Including a physical address can, therefore, be helpful for these high-level roles.

Here's a breakdown of different industries and how relevant physical location tends to be for your application:

Freelancers and remote workers

Relevance : Low

Freelancers and remote workers often work for multiple clients in various locations, making the applicant's physical location less relevant. Omitting your address or listing 'Remote' is generally more appropriate, and instead, include your timezone on your resume to help with employer correspondence.

Creative industries: Art, design, media

Relevance : Low to moderate

Many creative roles are project-based and can be done remotely. Consider omitting your address unless applying for a position that requires physical presence, like in-studio work.

Tech Industry

Relevance : Varies

While many tech jobs offer remote work, some roles, especially at startups or companies with a strong in-office culture, might value local candidates. Research the company culture and job requirements to determine if a street address is needed.

Sales and marketing

Relevance : Moderate, depending on the role.

Local sales roles, especially those requiring face-to-face client interactions, benefit from a local address. For digital marketing, location is less relevant. Include a city location for local positions, and a more location for global or digital marketing roles.

Financial and banking

Relevance : Moderate to high.

While many financial roles include remote work, those involving direct client interaction or specific market sectors may require a local candidate. Tailor your resume based on the particular role, including a local address for client-facing or market-specific positions.

Legal and consulting services

Relevance : High for legal, moderate for consulting.

Legal professionals often need to be licensed in their specific state or region. Consultants, while sometimes able to work remotely, may need to travel to client sites. Lawyers should include their local address, while consultants can tailor based on the nature of the consultancy and client needs.

Real estate, retail and hospitality

Relevance : High

These industries often require local knowledge or on-site presence. Including at least a city is often required for these industries.

Healthcare and education

These fields often require workers to be on-site. Including your local address can be beneficial, particularly for public-facing roles.

Manufacturing and logistics

These industries often require on-site work and proximity to logistical hubs. Include a local address, especially for roles that involve direct operations or management of physical goods.

Key takeaways

In today’s workforce, including your full address on your resume is no longer necessary. However, including a general location on your resume provides an added boost to your job search.

To further enhance your resume, check out the free tool, Score My Resume, which scans your resume and provides feedback on how to improve it.

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How to List Contact Information on a Resume

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Listing contact information on your resume

How to list contact information, contact information template, contact information example.

When writing a resume, you can learn the proper tools and skills to get past keyword scanners. You’ll need to know how to structure the information in a way that will still be easy to read. The first step is determining how to list your contact information. In this article, you can learn more about the specific contact information to put on your resume, from your name to how to format an address, so you can represent yourself properly when applying for a new job.

Many people are concerned about listing contact information on a resume, especially when submitting a job application through an online site. While this may be a valid concern, the employer still needs to have a way to contact you, so it’s vital that you list the information on your job applications. Most legitimate employment services will take steps to mask your information from those who aren’t reputable employers. In the end, finding a new job is worth listing your contact information and doing it in the proper format.

It’s important to understand what contact info to put on a resume, so you can provide hiring managers with everything they need to contact you using their preferred method. This includes your name, physical address, any personal website and email address. In some cases, you might list more or less information from each of these elements. 

Here are some steps you can follow when adding contact information on your resume:

1. First, list your name

Put the name you want to be called on your resume. If you don’t go by your given name, then it’s okay to put the name you prefer to be called. For example, if your name is John James, but you go by J.J., you can put J.J. on your resume. 

It is important to note that you should always be consistent in how you list your name. Make sure you show your name exactly the same way on your resume, cover letter, professional websites, business cards, applications and other documents.

2. Second, write an address on your resume

You might not think that a physical mailing address is important in the days of electronic communication, but many employers still use mailed correspondence. Include a mailing address if the employer requests it.

Your resume address format should be the same as on any mailing envelope. Be sure to be complete and use the proper format for all the details for your mailing address, including your zip code. If you are really concerned about privacy, you can sometimes skip this and just list your city and state, but you still may need to provide your mailing address later.

3. Third, include your email address and webpage or online profile contact information

Email is the most popular way for employers to communicate. Always use a personal email address, as opposed to your current work email address. Using your work email address runs the risk of advertising to your current position that you’re job hunting. If you don’t have a personal email address, the best practice is to get one. You can find many free services, but be sure to make your personal address professional — simply use your name and a neutral domain.

Social media contact information can be a tricky thing. Some people like to include it to show they have nothing to hide. If you do list your social media accounts, prepare for an employer to look through your accounts for anything questionable. Be sure that all of your social media accounts are professional, friendly and include nothing inappropriate. 

4. Fourth, list your phone number

Second to email, a phone number is a vital piece of information to include on your resume. You may even wish to include more than one phone number, but avoid using your current work number. Also, be sure that the outgoing voicemail message on any number you list is polite and professional, and be sure to check your messages regularly.

5. Fifth, format your contact information

How you format your contact information is an important part of completing a job application. Your contact information should always be the first thing an employer sees. List it at the very top so that it stands out.

The information should be justified to the left or right, or centered and offset from the rest of the text. Keep your font standardized at a size between 11 and 12 points, and use a common and easily-readable font like Times New Roman. 

Some people choose to use a larger or bold font for their contact information, others center it or use a horizontal line to offset their personal information from the rest of the resume. Any of these are valid choices, but be careful about making the font too large or fancy, as it can confuse keyword scanners and be distracting to hiring managers.

After you complete your resume, be sure to go back and proofread each section. It is vital to properly record your physical address, phone number and email address on your resume.

First Name, Last Name Street Number, Street Name, Apartment Number (if any) City, State, Zip Code Phone Number Email Address  Address or Link to Personal Webpage or Online Profile (if applicable)

John Williams 324 Gallagher Street, Apt #5 New York, NY 12345 555-555-5555 [email protected] www.jwilliamsworks.com

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It may seem simple, but what all details to add to your resume contact information is a controversial topic.

Some recruiters prefer to see the address on their resume. Some recruiters are fine with the current location on their resumes.

If you want to get out of this confusion, experts at Hiration have figured out a way to resolve all your queries.

In this article, you will learn:

• What contact information should be on a resume?
• Examples of contact details on resume?
• How to include address on resume?
• What things to avoid when writing contact information on resume?

We'll end this with an email address example along with a few samples on how to include address on resume and contact information on resume in general.

What is the most important section on a resume?

Some would say the Professional Summary. Others would side with the actual Professional Experience section.

It’s the resume contact information section!

Think about it: You got all the required key skills. You have the most detailed work section. But you miss-spelled your name. What will happen? The recruiters would not be able to reach you. And you will lose the opportunity.

Do not worry! We have got you covered.

Resume contact information is the data you provide to help the recruiters get in touch with you . That includes the address on resume, your name, email address, and phone number.

In this blog, we will show you how to write contact information on resume . Read on to know how to write an address on a resume.

What Contact Information Should be on a Resume?

On your resume contact information section, you should definitely include:

• Your full name
• Location in City, State format
• Zipcode (if asked by the recruiter)
• Phone number
• Email address

Full Name on Resume

Firstly, do not write “Resume” or “CV” as the heading of your resume. Use your full name.

And ensure your name is consistent across all job application documents.

For example, if you are writing your middle name on your resume, ensure it’s the same everywhere. Similarly, if you are not using a middle name, make sure to omit it from every document related to your job application.

If you mention your middle name, don’t write it in full; instead, use the initials—Seldon L. Cooper, instead of Sheldon Lee Cooper.

Address on Resume

We don’t recommend writing your address on resume unless the recruiter asks explicitly.

There are some solid reasons for doing so.

On a one-page resume, space is the most valuable asset. And if you add your entire address, it eats up unnecessary space. A mailing address is not necessary these days, Everything happens online.

Sometimes, if your mailing address is far from the company location, recruiters may hire a candidate near the company location.

It cuts both ways; Company doesn’t want to hire someone who has to travel a lot to come to the office every day, get burned out, and leave the job.

However, there are some serious reasons for which you should not add your mailing address in resume:

Email Address on Resume

You should use a professional-looking email address. However, don’t use your email address given by your current employer.

Use your first and last name in the email address. Avoid unprofessional email addresses, like coolamanda@gmail[dot]com . Check the email account frequently so that you do not miss out on employer inquiries. Respond promptly.

Phone Number on Resume

A critical rule of phones would be: It is essential to have voice mail. Using voice mail on your phone is helpful. It enables hiring managers to leave a message when you are not available. It helps you not to miss any important calls.

But, be sure that your voice mail message sounds professional. A professional voicemail would be: Hey, it's Alice here. Please leave a message.

Before we move on to the next section on how to include address on resume contact information , we would like to tell you some hacks :

If you have a LinkedIn page or a personal website, include these links in your contact section as well.

For an increased impact, you should try to include your online portfolio. It shows your creativity and dedication towards proving yourself.

Resume Contact Information Examples

Contact Information Resume: 2-Column Resume

Contact Information Resume: 1-Column Resume

Also Read : How to create resume sections?

How to Include Resume Contact Information?

What you choose to display on your resume makes or breaks your entire job prospect. So what should you include to improve your chances? What are the odds?

It begins with your name and other contact information.

We have already discussed what information should be included in your resume contact information. Your name, address, phone number, and email address should always appear at the top of your resume. It does not matter which resume format you are using.

Before we begin, we would like to ask you something.

Did you know that some employers use the contact information section to filter candidates?

They are most likely to give you a pass if you live in another part of the country. This is done to avoid paying relocation costs.

They may form a negative opinion of you if your contact information is inappropriate in some way.

Many recruiters use this information to search for your popular opinion on popular social networking sites. They like to see what is posted about you.

This makes the resume contact information section even more important. What should you include to make sure your resume gets forwarded?

Your First & Last Name

• Your middle name is optional. Include it if you want to distinguish yourself from other job candidates.
• You can use your given first name or your shortened first name. However, it is not advisable to use a nickname. It leads to the formation of opinions.
• Your name should be at the top. It should be able to stand out. You can make your name larger than the rest of the fonts. Or bold your name. Or both. You can center your contact details or align them to the right.
• Leave a space or horizontal line between the end of your contact information and the next section of your resume.

Your Contact Number

• Your home and cell phone numbers can be listed. You can include more than one number.
• Make sure that the numbers you include are active to take calls on.
• Your work phone number is not a good choice. Your employer may/may not allow personal calls. Also, you may not want your current company to know about your job switching.
• Make sure you have a decent voice mail message in case you are prone to miss calls.
• Check your messages regularly. We can recall countless clients who missed a job opportunity just because they were not available on call or couldn't reply to a message/mail.

Your Mailing address or Current/Preferred Location

We recommend candidates not include their mailing addresses on resumes. However, if the recruiters ask for it, then here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Include your full mailing address (street address, city, state, and zip code) instead of just the city and the state.
• In case you have privacy concerns, it's perfectly alright if you do not include address on resume; instead, just write the city/state.
• Use the complete state name if the abbreviations are easily confused with another.

Your Email Address

• Use a conventional email address like: firstname_lastname@email[dot]com.
• Do not use inappropriate emails like pinkpanther@email[dot]com.
• You will need to check your email regularly. Do not miss an opportunity. Make sure your email settings don't automatically send promising emails to the spam folder.
• If you don't have an email account...well, have you been living under a rock this whole time? Make one now!

External Links

You can provide links to a professional online profile or personal webpage only if you think it'll bolster your overall profile. Providing a link to a LinkedIn profile that was updated many months ago will not benefit anyone.

Whatever you include, do remember that it's going to count. You can skip this if you think there's the slightest chance that it might backfire.

You can include links to articles or papers that have been published or other such distinctions.

Also Read: How to choose the correct resume format?

What to Avoid When Adding Contact Information on Resume?

Avoid Typos : A typo is more common than you think. It could prevent you from getting contacted for the job.

Avoid Different Names : Consistency is the key. Avoid using different names in different documents.

Avoid Using Unprofessional Email ID : Do not use a current work email address. Do not use a casual or silly email address. Use a provider that makes you look savvy and professional.

Don’t Use Someone Else’s Phone Number : Avoid providing someone else's phone number. Make sure the phone number you are providing is active. Add a country and area code. Check your voicemail message. Do not personalize your caller tone.

Social Media Handles : Make your social media profiles professional before including social media URLs. However, it’s always a good idea to have an updated LinkedIn profile URL.

Date of Birth : It is not mandatory to include the date of birth in the resume. But it is a quick way to show the employer you are legal for specific jobs.

HIRATION PROTIP: In the US, for instance, it's forbidden to add personal details like age, sex, date of birth, etc., to avoid bias in the shortlisting process. On the flip side, countries in the Mideast, for instance, also ask for passport details. Check the norms for your country or industry before you include these details.

Resume Sample

• Identified web-based user interactions and developed highly-responsive user interface components via React concepts
• Translated designs & wireframes into high-quality code and wrote application interface code via JavaScript following React.js workflows
• Troubleshot interface software and debugged application codes to improve functionality and performance by 50%
• Developed and implemented front-end architecture to support user interface concepts with 100% accuracy
• Monitored and improved front-end performance by 15% and documented application changes & worked on updates
• Developed the latest user-facing features using React.js and built reusable components & front-end libraries for future use
• Optimized components for maximum performance across a vast array of web-capable devices and browsers
• Coordinated with the development team of 35 to discuss user interface ideas and applications
• Reviewed application requirements and interface designs to ensure compatibility with existing applications
• Determined the structure and design of web pages based on user requirements and balanced functional & aesthetic designs
• Created features to enhance the user experience while ensuring that the web design is optimized for smartphones
• Employed a variety of languages such as HTML and CSS to write & create user-friendly web pages
• Built reusable code for future use and optimized web pages for 5 applications for maximum speed and scalability
• Managed brand consistency throughout the design and maintained & improved the company's website by adding more features and functionality
• Liaised with cross-functional teams to ensure that the client projects were completed on time and within a stipulated budget
• Produced high-quality mockups & designed different prototypes and provided high-quality graphics & visual elements
• React Certification (Full Stack Web Development) | Coursera | Dec '17
• Top 20 percentile of the class
• UI Designing
• Application Designing
• Wireframe & Design
• Translation
• Front-end Architecture
• Performance Improvement
• Feature Designing
• Webpage Designing
• Webpage Optimization
• Project Delivery
• Client Surviving
• Graphic Designing

Key Takeaways

With that, we have come to the end of this blog. Now, let us revisit some of the key takeaways from this blog:

• You don't need to include your full address in your resume. Only add, if it can influence the decision-making process
• Be consistent with your name throughout all of your job application documents
• Use a professional email id in your resume
• If you have a portfolio website, include it in the resume. Also, include a link to your updated LinkedIn profile on your resume.

Go to Hiration career platform which has 24/7 chat support and get professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries. You can also write to us at [email protected] and we will make sure to reach out to you as soon as possible.

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Should You List Your Address on Resume? | Address Format for Resume

If you’re wondering whether or not to include your address on a resume, we can guarantee you’re not alone. That’s why we’ve put together this definitive guide to listing your address on your resume.

It’s not one of the most talked-about sections on your resume. In fact, you may not even need to include it at all! But if you’re wondering whether or not to include your address on a resume, we can guarantee you’re not alone.

That’s why we’ve put together this definitive guide to listing your address on your resume. We’ll cover whether you need it, how you should format it, and where it should go in the context of the rest of the document. That way, if you decide to include a contact address, you’ll know exactly how to do it!

On this page, we’ll cover the following points:

• Whether it’s necessary to include your address on your resume
• The pros and cons of including your address
• How to include your address on your resume
• Some great ways to format your address for your resume, with examples

Should You Put Your Address on Your Resume?

So is it actually necessary to put your address on your resume? Unfortunately, that question doesn’t come with a definitive answer.

In the past, it was normal to include a mailing address on your resume. That’s because other forms of contact, like telephone or email, were much less widely available. It can be easy to forget that the fast, efficient methods of contact we have today are fairly recent developments!

But now that employers can reach you at any time with a quick email, they don’t normally need to waste time with the postal service. This means that the primary reason why people used to include addresses on their resumes—for contact purposes—is now mostly obsolete.

Still, putting your address on your resume won’t hurt your application. If you decide to do it, it won’t leave you looking old-fashioned or behind the times! In fact, we’ll cover a few reasons why you might want to do it below.

Pros of Listing Your Address on Resume

Listing your address on your resume may not be strictly necessary, but it definitely has some advantages! Here are the pros of listing your address on your resume:

• It could boost your application—if you live close to your workplace, it may give your employer confidence that you’ll be able to turn up on time.
• If your employer requires background checks, including your address on your resume will give them an important piece of information for that process.
• Including your address may give your resume an advantage against ATS software—though this is unproven!

Cons of Listing Your Address on Resume

The advantages are all very well—but it’s important to consider why you may not want to include your address on your resume. To help you make your decision, here are the cons:

• Most employers won’t use a mailing address to contact you—they’ll email you or call you instead.
• An address takes up valuable space on a resume, which may mean you have to exclude other, more important information.
• If you live far away from the place where you want to work, it could put off a potential employer.
• If you live in a neighborhood with a bad reputation, hiring managers may apply unconscious bias and treat your application less favorably.

How to List Your Address on Your Resume

If you do include your address on your resume, you should treat it like any other piece of contact information. In most cases, that means it should be listed in your header, at the very top of your resume. Include it alongside your email address and contact phone number, for a cohesive overall look.

Depending on your resume format, you may have listed your contact information somewhere else. For example, if you’re using a two-column format, your contact details may appear in the narrower of your two columns. In that case, you can include your address there, too.

It’s more important to know where your address shouldn’t go than where it should! It shouldn’t be mixed in with any other sections on your resume, where it might look confusing and lead to misunderstandings. It shouldn’t appear at the very end of your resume, where it will look like you’ve tacked it on at the last minute. And it shouldn’t be separate from your other contact information—remember, that was the original reason for anyone to list their address on their resume at all.

The Best Address Format for Resume

When choosing the right format for your address, you need to consider two important things. The first is the layout of your resume, and how you want your address to fit into it. The second is your comfort with sharing your address. Remember, it’s always optional—but if you do want to include it, here are some formats you can choose from:

• A one-line address, in which you use commas instead of line breaks to distinguish between each part of your address
• A multi-line address, where you use line breaks and allow your address to take up multiple lines’ worth of space
• An abbreviated address, where you only include your city, state (or province), and zip code

If you’re including your address in a header that spans the width of the page, or as part of a single-column resume layout, use a one-line address format. That way, it won’t stretch out your header and take up too much room on the page.

If you’re including your address in a second column, use a multi-line address format. Because a second column format makes for narrower fields to input information, you can get away with taking up more vertical space—in fact, it looks better that way.

Finally, if you’re worried about including every detail of your address on your resume—for any reason!—you can use an abbreviated address. That way, you’ll still be able to give hiring managers a clear sense of where you are, without getting into the specifics.

How to List Your Address on Your Resume – Examples

Want to see how it’s done? Here are just a few ways you can list your address on your resume!

The One-Line Address

123 South Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6G 2Z4

This is a great way to keep your address from taking up too much space on your resume. It contains all the necessary information, but it doesn’t pull focus away from the more important elements on the page!

The Multi-Line Address

123 South Street Vancouver, BC V6G 2Z4

This is a more traditional-looking way to write out your address. If your resume format has enough room for it, this is a universally-recognized way to include the information.

The Abbreviated Address

Vancouver, BC

It might seem basic, but this may very well be all you need! Even better: it doesn’t take up too much space, and it doesn’t require you to share the specifics of your personal address before you’re ready.

Copyright © 2024 Workstory Inc.

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Show Contact Information on Your Resume - How-To & Examples

The contact information is the single most important section on your resume.

Because even if you’re the most qualified person in the world, it’s not going to matter much if the hiring manager can’t contact you!

Jokes aside, sure, contact information isn’t that hard to mess up. But then again, if you do, you mess up your whole application.

Sounds scary, right?

Well, in this guide, we’re going to teach you everything there is to know about the contact information section on your resume.

• What to include in your contact information section
• If you should mention your location
• How to include your phone number and email (the right way)
• When to include your LinkedIn profile
• Other social profiles you can mention
• What NOT to include in your resume contact information section

Ready to get started?

What to Include in Your Contact Information Section

Before we dive into the details of the contact information, let’s first talk about the contents of the section.

Here’s what you’d include in the contact information of your resume:

Contact Information:

• First Name, Last Name: e.g. ‘Robert Johnson’
• Phone Number: e.g. ‘004 412 2019’
• Email Address: e.g. ‘[email protected]’
• Location: e.g. ‘Copenhagen, Denmark’

Optional Information:

• Professional Title: e.g. ‘Digital Marketing Specialist’
• LinkedIn URL: e.g. ‘linkedin.com/robert-johnson/
• Social media: e.g. GitHub, StackOverflow, Medium, Quora, etc. Whichever is more relevant to you.
• Date of Birth - Unless it’s specifically required (e.g. job that requires you to be 21+), the HR manager doesn’t need to know how old you are. It’s not an important factor for decision-making and can lead to discrimination based on age.
• Unprofessional Email Address - Do: ‘[email protected]’ Don’t: ‘[email protected]’

Now, let’s talk about best practices when it comes to resume contact information .

We’re going to walk you through all the sections and teach you how to get them right, starting with your name.

There’s a LOT more to creating a good resume than getting your contact information section right.

Want to learn everything there is to know about the process? Check out our guide on how to write a resume !

How to Start With Your Name

Your name should be pretty obvious stuff, right?

Maybe, but it’s still a good idea to go over some of the best practices.

To keep things simple, you’ll want to use the exact same name that you use on all your social media profiles (aka, your full name).

And under it, you should give your professional title.

This should always mirror the position you’re applying for.

Let’s say you’re applying for a digital marketing job, but your resume says you’re a ‘ Junior Data Scientist ’.

Whoever picks up your resume will probably get confused and think it’s in the wrong pile.

It’s also important to use the same terms as in the job description. If they’re looking for a C++ developers, that’s what you should use as a title. Some of the titles you SHOULDN’T use are:

• Software engineer (unless that’s the job title)
• Programming Samurai

Are you a recent university graduate with limited work experience? You can still use the desired job title as your resume title.

If relevant, also feel free to mention any professional acronyms under your belt here.

• Robert Eric Johnson, PhD
• Computer Engineering Specialist
• Dr. Robert (Eric) Johnson (Computer Engineering Specialist).

All clear? Good!

Now, let’s move on to the next part of your contact information section.

Should You Mention Your Location?

Are you located in the area? Or will the company have to sponsor your relocation package?

This is the main question behind whether or not to include your location in the section.

When hiring, most recruiters are looking for people that live in their area. And unless the position is hard to fill, they will NOT be willing to sponsor your relocation.

So, to keep things simple, all you have to do is mention your city name and the country here.

There is, however, no need to mention your neighborhood or exact address. The HR won’t drop by for a coffee in their downtime.

• Copenhagen, Denmark.
• 2300 Copenhagen, Denmark, Ny Carlsberg Vej 82

Now, you might be thinking, then why do so many resume examples that I see on the web keep mentioning their exact addresses? 

Well, that’s because this was the norm back in the day when email wasn’t the universal communication method.

Back then, they’d have to get in touch with you through good old snail mail.

Today, your email will work just fine. 

Now, you’re probably wondering, if I’m already moving to the new city or country and DON’T need a relocation package, should I include my location?

Nope, do this instead: 

Mention where and when you’re relocating.

For example: “Relocating to New York, NY in Spring 2021” 

Phone Number and Email

Your phone number and email are the two most common contact methods hiring managers look for. 

You should always double, or even triple-check, that they’re correct.

To keep things simple, stick to a professional email (and NOT the wacky email you made in middle school).

Something along the lines of ‘[email protected]’ (or the other way around), works best.

As for your phone number , make sure to include a regional code as well.

Also, make sure you’re NOT using your current work email or phone number !

The HR manager won’t like that, as it will make you look unloyal and unprofessional.

It’s as simple as that.

Once you get your contacts down though, do take a minute to read everything out loud . 

Even a simple one-letter typo can cost you the job. So, better safe than sorry!

When to Include LinkedIn?

Now, what about your LinkedIn profile? Should you include it?

Here’s the short answer:

If you have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile , you almost always include it on your resume.

Most, if not all, recruiters are already on LinkedIn, and they’re going to give your profile a link. 

Who knows, maybe they’ll find a mutual acquaintance who can vouch for your professionalism and skill-set?

Though, there are some things you should consider when deciding whether to include your LinkedIn profile or not.

First, is the content there consistent with your resume?

If you have some discrepancies, the HR manager might think you’re lying about something.

Secondly, is your LinkedIn up-to-date with your resume?

Always make sure to update both with any new job positions, certifications, or publications.

If you think it’s relevant to your job and will help your chances, feel free to include it.

Now, if the answer to both questions above is yes , feel free to add LinkedIn in your contact information .

• Not confident with your LinkedIn profile? Check out our guide on how to optimize your LinkedIn profile to complement your resume to see how you can use the platform to your advantage.

Other Social Profiles

That’s great and all, but what about your other social media profiles ? Should you include them too?

Well, it depends.

As a rule of thumb, if the social profile is relevant to your job, you should include them.

Let’s take a look at a few to see when you might want to do so.

Instagram or Twitter

Let’s say you’re applying for a job as a community manager or an influencer .

In that case, you could support your application by including your Twitter or Instagram profiles in your contact info.

If you have a lot of followers on either of the platforms, this could tell the recruiter that you know how to manage a community or gain a following on social media, which might be valuable for a social media manager position.

Though, if it’s a personal profile and you often make personal posts discussing politics or other controversial topics , you might want to keep the link far far away from your resume.

Quora covers a lot of business topics and many subject-authorities hang out there.

If you’re an expert on a topic that’s relevant to your job and have a solid reputation on Quora, you might want to link to it on your resume.

StackOverflow or GitHub

Are you a developer, a coder, or a computer scientist?

A link to your active StackOverflow or GitHub profile can boost your resume and be a great way to show off your projects.

Be it a website, a mobile app, or something else, a link to the above platforms can be a great addition to your resume.

Relevant for freelancers , writers , bloggers , and entrepreneurs .

If you have an active profile, it can help show off your writing skills and personality before even getting to the interview.

Website or personal blog

Finally, if you’re a writer , or an expert in your field with some online presence, adding a link to your blog or website on your resume can be a great move.

This can be really useful to show your knowledge, and to position yourself as an expert in your field.

Though, you should use your discretion and only include a link if you think it’s going to be relevant .

If it’s a personal blog where you discuss the latest news and post your controversial opinions, you should definitely keep it off your resume.

Anything else

Got an account or you’re active on any other social media platform?

Even if it’s for your personal hobbies (e.g. photography account on Flickr), you should include it only if you think it might help your application process.

Speaking of hobbies, did you know that adding a couple to your resume can boost your application?

Check out our full guide on 40+ hobbies and interests to put on a resume to learn how they can boost your CV!

What NOT to Include in Your Resume Contact Information Section

Until now, we’ve been mostly talking about everything you should include in your contact information section.

But is there anything you might want to exclude?

Yes, quite a few things, actually.

Let’s take a look:

Current job email address

You don’t want your current boss to find out you’re looking for a new job, do you? Especially while using your work email.

This is also bad practice because it shows unprofessionalism and the new hiring manager reading your resume might not be comfortable contacting you on your current work email .

Current job phone number

Likewise, you should not use your current work phone number in your contact information.

Even if your current employer knows you’re looking for a new job, your new potential employer might not appreciate the gesture and think you’re going behind your employer’s back.

Better to stick to your personal phone number.

Date of birth

The HR manager doesn’t care about wishing you a happy birthday.

Include your date of birth only if it is specifically requested in the job ad (e.g. for a bartender position where you have to be 21+).

Your age could play against your interest and lead to ageism. Better to keep it off completely.

Unprofessional email address

As mentioned above, do not include an email address you created ages ago in school.

Show some professionalism, and stick to [email protected] (if that’s unavailable, use [email protected] or some other variations).

Your exact address

Very few businesses use mailing services nowadays to communicate with new hires.

Just listing your phone number and email is good enough, you shouldn’t expect a “Congrats You’re Hired!” mail delivered by post!

Key Takeaways

To recap, your contact information section is an important part of your resume.

Here’s what you need to keep in mind to get this section right:

• Make sure you’re listing the following must-include information: first name, last name, phone number, email address, and location. Meanwhile, the following information is optional: professional title, LinkedIn URL, social media profile(s) and will depend on your background if it’s going to be relevant.
• To keep things simple, you’ll want to use your full name in your contact info, and under it, write your professional title (if unsure, simply write what the job ad says).
• For your phone number and email, stick to keeping things professional and use your personal email and phone number (i.e. not your current work contacts).
• Wondering about including your LinkedIn profile? If it’s up-to-date, optimized, and consistent with your resume, then go for it. If not, make sure it looks good and is updated first.
• Finally, is there anything you should NOT include on your resume? Yes, quite a few. Feel free to skip out on: Current job email address or phone number, your date of birth, an unprofessional email address, your home address.

All done with the contact information section on your resume?

Awesome! Be sure to also follow our career blog for all the latest actionable tips and tricks on how to improve your resume and ace that job interview!

Recommended reading:

• Best Resume Formats [3+ Professional Templates]
• 22+ Strengths and Weaknesses for Job Interviews [Best Answers]
• How to Write a Cover Letter in 8 Easy Steps

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How to Write an Address: A Complete Guide

Hannah Yang

Whenever you mail a letter, you need to write the address correctly. If you format the address incorrectly, your mail might get delivered to the wrong destination.

That’s just one situation in which you’ll need to know how to write an address. You may also need to write your address in the header of a resume, to fill out legal forms, and countless other situations.

If you’re trying to write an address, you’ve come to the right place. This article will give you a complete guide to formatting an address and provide examples of common address formats.

What Is an Address?

What are the address formats for mailing a letter, what are the address formats for specific types of addresses, should you use abbreviations in an address, address examples, conclusion on how to write an address.

An address consists of all the information that a mail carrier needs to identify a location.

Addresses contain some or all of the following pieces of information:

• The recipient’s name
• The organization’s name, if necessary
• Building number
• Street name
• Suite number, apartment number, or P.O. box number, if necessary
• City, town, or village
• State or territory
• Postal code

It’s important to include all the information that the post office needs to identify the correct location, without including any extraneous information. If you add any extraneous lines or words, it will be harder for others to figure out what the actual address is.

When you mail a letter in the US, you’ll need to include both the recipient’s address and the sender’s address. Let’s look at how to format each one.

Mailing Address Format

Whenever you mail a letter, you need to put the recipient’s address at the center of the envelope. This is where the postal courier will look to figure out where to deliver the letter to.

If you’re writing to a recipient in the US, you should include the following pieces of information, in this order:

• The recipient’s name on the first line. You can choose whether or not to include a title, such as Ms. or Dr.
• The recipient’s building number and street name. Also include a suite number, apartment number, or P.O. box number on the second line, if necessary
• The recipient's city, state, and postal code on the final line

The address should consist of three lines of text, one for each of the bullet points above.

You only need to include a suite or apartment number if you live in a building where multiple individuals or families share the same building number. That way, couriers can figure out which specific apartment to deliver the mail to.

When you write the postal code, you can write out either the five-digit ZIP code (e.g. 98052), or the five-digit ZIP code with the area-specific four-digit suffix (e.g. 98052-1134). Including your full postal code will help couriers deliver your package more quickly.

Return Address Format

The term “return address” refers to the address of the person sending a letter or package. The reason you need to include your own address on any letter or package you send is so the postal service knows where to return the mail if they’re unable to deliver it. You should place your return address on the upper left corner of the envelope.

If you live in the US, you should include the following pieces of information, in this order:

• Your name on the first line. You can choose whether or not to include a title, such as Ms. or Dr.
• Your building number and street name. Also include a suite number, apartment number, or P.O. box number on the second line, if necessary
• Your city, state, and postal code on the final line

Just like with the mailing address, the return address should be three lines of text, one for each of the bullet points above.

The guidelines to follow when writing an address often depends on the specific type of letter you’re writing. For example, if you’re sending an international letter to a country outside of the US, you may need to format your address differently.

Let’s look at some of these specific guidelines.

Business Address Format

When you’re sending mail to a business address, you may need to include some additional information that you wouldn’t include for a personal letter.

That’s because the courier may need to know the company name, as well as the name of the specific person within the company you’re writing to.

Here’s the information you need to include in a business address:

• The recipient’s name. You can precede this name with the word Attention or ATTN, followed by a colon. You can choose whether you want to include any relevant professional titles, such as Ph.D. or Esq.
• The name of the recipient’s company or organization
• The company’s building number and street name
• The company’s floor or suite number, if necessary
• The company’s city, state, and postal code

International Address Format

If you’re mailing a letter outside of the US, you’ll need to adhere to the format of the country you’re sending the letter to. That way, the postal service within that country will know where to go.

In general, these are the pieces of information you should include in an international address:

• The name of the recipient’s house, if their home has a specific name
• The recipient’s building number and street name, if their house does not have a specific name
• The recipient’s city, town, or village
• The recipient’s county
• The recipient’s postal code
• The recipient’s district, if necessary
• The recipient’s country

To be safe, you should always double-check the address format of the specific country you’re mailing to.

When you write your return address on international mail, you should format it the same way you usually would. In addition, you should include your own country at the bottom of the return address.

Resume Address Format

When you write a professional resume, you should include your address at the top of your resume. You can either include it in your header or add it in the top left corner.

The good news is that you should use the same format for writing an address in a resume that you would use for writing a letter. Include all the same information you would use for a return address.

One-Line Address Format

Sometimes, you may need to write an entire address in a single line of text.

In this case, you should include all the same information that you would include in a multi-line address. The only difference is that you’ll need to replace each line break with a comma when you write an address on one line.

Make sure to include a comma after each of these elements:

• The person’s name
• The street address
• The apartment number or suite

It’s perfectly acceptable to use abbreviations when writing an address—in fact, it’s often expected.

Here are some common abbreviations you should know:

• Apartment: Apt
• Boulevard: Blvd
• Parkway: Pkwy

You should also abbreviate all the US states with a two-letter code. For example, you would write CA for California or DE for Delaware.

To help you understand what a correctly formatted address should look like, we’ve included some examples you can refer to.

US Address Examples

Here’s an example of a domestic residential address in the US:

John Smith 5480 7th Ave San Francisco, CA 94112

Here’s an example of a US address with an apartment number:

Ms. Mary Green 2211 Edgewood St, Apt 2 Boston, MA 02124-1331

One-Line Address Examples

Here’s how you would write each of the above addresses on a single line:

John Smith, 5480 7th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112 Ms. Mary Green, 2211 Edgewood St, Apt 2, Boston, MA, 02124-1331

Professional Address Examples

If you’re writing a business letter, don’t forget to include the organization’s name. Here’s an example:

Attn: Rachel Long, CEO The Greatest Writers’ Organization 780 English Avenue, Floor 8 Seattle, WA 90199

International Address Examples

Here’s an example of an address in Canada:

Jacob White 423 Second Street NE Montreal, QC H3Z 2Y7 Canada

(In this case, Montreal is the city, QC is the province, and H3Z 2Y7 is the postal code.)

Here’s an example of an address in Great Britain:

Harry Brown 87 Blackstone Street London EC1Y 8SY England

(In this case, London is the city, and EC17 8SY is the postal code.)

There you have it—a complete guide to writing an address correctly! Here’s a quick recap:

• An address should include everything a mail carrier needs to identify the recipient’s location
• It’s expected that you’ll use standard abbreviations, such as St for Street
• The guidelines may be different for international addresses, so always double-check each country’s guidelines

Lastly, make sure you write your address in clear and legible handwriting, so your mail can be delivered efficiently.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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6 Ways to Address an Employment Gap on Your Resume

A seamless employment history is often considered the holy grail of a great resume. But, it is not uncommon to encounter employment gaps on resumes today. Regardless of the reason, these gaps create a sense of uncertainty for job seekers.

The good news is that addressing an employment gap in your resume doesn't have to be a roadblock to your career aspirations. In this article, we will explore effective ways to help you confidently navigate and overcome this hurdle.

1. Acknowledge the Gap With a Brief Explanation

One of the first steps in addressing an employment gap is to acknowledge it openly and honestly. Instead of leaving potential employers guessing about the gap, take the proactive approach of addressing it.

Employment gaps are generally categorized into two types: long-term and short-term. According to Statista , long-term unemployment counts for six months or more.

Long-term work gaps need more detailed explanations. For example, if you took a break to care for a family member, pursue education, or for any other reason. Ensure to explain why you took the time off and what you gained from the experience.

For short-term gaps, you can focus on the reason for the gap without going into excessive detail. For example, if you took time off to care for a family member, you can state, "Career break to provide caregiving support to a family member."

While explaining the gap, shift the focus to positive outcomes or experiences gained during that time. For instance, if you volunteered for community work, discuss how it shaped your character and work ethic.

2. Use a Different Resume Format

While the traditional chronological format works well for many job seekers, it may not be the best choice if you have an employment gap. Exploring other resume formats allows you to highlight your qualifications and shift the focus away from the gap.

One alternative format that you might consider is a functional resume. In functional format, your resume focuses on skills and areas of expertise instead of your work experience. You can find some free templates for functional resumes on Resume Genius and Resume.io .

Another option you can try is a hybrid resume. One of the advantages of making a hybrid resume is you can minimize your career gaps. As the name suggests, this format combines elements of both the chronological and functional formats. It can particularly work well as it allows you to draw attention to your relevant experience while demonstrating your skill set.

Further, thinking outside the box and opting for a unique format can showcase your creativity and innovative thinking. You can explore the best alternative resume formats to showcase your resume in creative ways.

3. Highlight Relevant Training or Education

If you pursued any training or education during your employment gap, highlight it on your resume. It helps showcase your commitment to continuous learning and professional growth.

Create a dedicated section on your resume highlighting relevant training and education. Mention the courses, workshops, certifications, or seminars you have completed and related to the job you are applying for.

Simply listing the courses you attended isn't enough. Take it further by describing the expertise you acquired through these educational experiences. For example, if you took a coding bootcamp during your employment gap, mention the programming languages you learned and any projects you worked on.

You can also consider a visual format that helps employers quickly grasp your qualifications. Consider creating a skills matrix or visual representation of your training and education. Use a chart or graphical format to showcase the different areas of expertise you have developed through your training.

4. Emphasize Transferable Skills

Even without formal employment, you probably must have gained valuable transferable skills from other activities or experiences. Transferable skills include project management, communication, leadership, problem-solving, and adaptability.

Demonstrating transferable skills on your resume can be relevant to potential employers. They are often interested in candidates who can bring a diverse set of skills to the table. Showcase these skills and their applicability to the position you are applying for.

Group your transferable skills into clusters to demonstrate your skills in various areas. Create subsections in your resume dedicated to specific skill sets. It could be leadership, project management, problem-solving, or any other skill. Under each cluster, list relevant examples that show how you've utilized those skills in different areas.

5. Leverage Personal Projects

Next, did you engage in any personal projects during your employment gap? Maybe you started a blog, created an online portfolio, or developed an app. Your independent endeavors can show employers what you're capable of.

You may want to include any noteworthy personal projects on your resume. When listing your personal projects on your resume, emphasize the skills you gained or used. For example, if you designed and developed a website, highlight your web design and development skills. You can also include your ability to manage a project, problem-solving, and communicate effectively.

Whenever possible, quantify the impact or results of your personal projects. Did your project gain a significant number of followers, receive positive feedback, or generate revenue? Did it solve a specific problem or address a need in the community? It helps employers understand the significance of your projects and the outcomes you achieved.

6. Elaborate on the Gap in Your Cover Letter

Your resume provides a concise overview of your qualifications. However, your cover letter can help you elaborate on your employment gap in a more personal and nuanced manner.

Explain why you took a break from work, why you want to work again, and what you've done to stay up-to-date. If you have not crafted a cover letter before and need a little help, here's how to write a cover letter .

After elaborating on the gap, bring the conversation back to the position you're applying for. Connect the skills or experiences you gained during the gap to the job requirements, demonstrating how you can make a positive impact.

Overcome the Employment Gap and Land Your Dream Job

Addressing an employment gap can certainly feel intimidating. However, ignoring it won't benefit your job search in the long run. Using the above-mentioned strategies, you can effectively address and minimize the impact of the gap. By presenting yourself as a qualified candidate, you can increase your chances of getting the job you want.

How do I update my resume to help land that job? Ask HR

Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your human resources questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest HR professional society and author of "Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.”

Have a question? Submit it here .

Question: Since leaving a job I have had for almost a decade, I have primarily conducted my job search online. I have used the same resume design since I started working 12 years ago. Should I update my resume design to be more effective? What do you recommend for building a modern resume? – Sandra

Answer: Updating your resume design can indeed be a wise move, especially if you've been using the same format for a long time. A fresh, modern design can help your resume stand out and leave a positive impression on recruiters and hiring managers. Here’s what I recommend for building a modern resume:

◾ Clean, professional layout: Opt for a layout that’s visually appealing and easy to read. Avoid cluttered designs and overly decorative elements that may distract from your content.

◾ Font selection: Stick to standard, easy-to-read fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. These fonts are widely accepted and compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), ensuring your résumé is easily scannable by both humans and software.

◾ Incorporate keywords: Tailor your resume to each job application by incorporating industry-specific keywords and phrases relevant to the position. Many companies use ATS to screen résumés, so this will increase the likelihood of your resume being noticed.

◾ Organized sections: Structure your resume into clear sections, including Contact Information, Summary or Objective, Work Experience, Skills, Education and any additional relevant sections such as Certifications or Volunteer Work. This organization makes it easy for recruiters to quickly find the information they need.

◾ Summary/objective statement: Start your résumé with a summary that highlights your key qualifications and career goals. Keep it concise, focusing on what sets you apart and what you aim to achieve in your career.

◾ Accomplishment-oriented experience: When listing your work experience, focus on highlighting your accomplishments, rather than just listing job duties. Use quantifiable achievements whenever possible, to demonstrate your impact, such as increasing sales by a certain percentage or leading successful projects.

◾ Skills section: Dedicate a section to showcasing your key skills and competencies, including both technical skills and soft skills relevant to the job. This section provides recruiters with a quick overview of your capabilities.

◾ Proofreading: Before submitting your resume, thoroughly proofread it to ensure there are no grammatical errors, typos, or formatting issues. Consider having someone else review your resume for feedback and additional insights.

By updating your resuméewith a modern design and incorporating these key elements, you can increase your chances of making a strong impression in today’s competitive job market. Good luck with your job search!

Ghosting a job Is it bad to ghost low priority potential employers? Ask HR

I've been denied PTO requests on multiple occasions, which is becoming increasingly frustrating. Most of them are denied on the grounds of staffing needs. Do I have any recourse in fighting these denials? What can I do to ensure PTO approvals? – Chanette

You may indeed have some recourse in addressing these denied paid time off requests. Start by reviewing your company's PTO policy and procedures. Many employers have specific guidelines regarding PTO requests, including deadlines for submission and limits on the number of employees who can be on leave simultaneously, to ensure adequate staffing levels.

First, check if your PTO requests were made in accordance with company policy. If they were not, ensure that you adhere to the established procedures for future requests, to increase the likelihood of approval.

However, if you followed company policy and your requests were still denied, consider discussing the matter with your manager or the human resources team. Seek clarification on the reasons for the denials and inquire about potential strategies to improve the approval rate for your requests.

It's also essential to consider whether your state mandates sick leave, and if your company uses PTO to fulfill those requirements. If so, your employer may be obligated to approve leave requests that align with qualifying reasons for sick leave under the law. If you’re uncertain about your state’s sick leave requirements, consult your HR team for clarification.

Ultimately, unless there is a contractual agreement or policy stating otherwise, employers typically have discretion in managing PTO usage. However, by following company procedures and addressing your concerns with management or HR, you may increase the likelihood of having your PTO requests approved more frequently.

Salaried, nonexempt What does that mean? Ask HR