Should You Put Your Address on Your Resume?

Traditionally, including an address on a resume was standard practice as physical mail was the main way employers would respond after a submitted application. Today, most communication about the hiring process takes place online. As a result, including a full address is not always necessary.

Additionally, your physical address may be a piece of information you want to keep private until you’ve established a relationship with an employer. In this case, it’s often acceptable to leave your full address off your resume.

In this article, we discuss why employers might want to see your physical address on a resume, when you can leave your address off your resume and how to include your address on your resume.

Why employers may want to see an address on your resume

Employers may seek out a physical address on your resume for a few reasons. Having this piece of information can be helpful to them during the hiring process in the following ways:

They expect to see it

Because a physical address has historically been part of a standard resume, some employers will expect to see one on your application. As the landscape of communication changes, employers are becoming more flexible with expectations around this sensitive information.

They’re creating an applicant profile for you

Some employers use profile systems to move you through the hiring process. If they don’t offer you the job you’ve applied for, they may use your profile to consider you for future opportunities. Often, a physical address is one piece of information they might include.

To understand how your location may change the job offer

Depending on your location, the employer might want to change certain stipulations in your offer. For example, they may want to include language about working remote or details about commuting if you live far away.

Carolynn Bruce is an HR consultant with more than 20 years of experience in the field. Here's her take on using your full address on a resume:

Including your full address on a resume is a practice of the past. Given the nature of today's digital environment, you'll want to indicate your general location when the job has in-office requirements.

—Carolynn Bruce, SHRM-SCP

While some employers may look for and use your address in a few different ways, it is sensitive information that you should provide if and when you feel comfortable. The only time employers absolutely need your physical address is during the final stages of the offer process. This is to complete the necessary paperwork to ensure you are legally in their systems so you can move forward. It is acceptable to keep your address private until this stage.

Related: 6 Universal Rules for Resume Writing

When you can leave your address off a resume

It is certainly acceptable to leave your address off your resume for a variety of reasons. Because your physical address is sensitive information, you should follow your comfort level when deciding if and how to include it on your resume. Here are a few specific reasons why you may want to consider excluding your address:

If you have any security concerns

Make sure you’ve listed your email and phone number in the contact section of your resume so employers can readily contact you and request any additional information that is necessary for their hiring processes.

If you wish to keep this information private for any reason

There are several reasons why you may not want to share your address. If the prospect of listing this information makes you uncomfortable in any way, exclude it.

If you have found a job posting on a third-party site

A safer option would be to find the same posting on a secure site or the company’s direct website. If you suspect a fraudulent or otherwise suspicious job posting on Indeed, please contact Indeed immediately. You can visit our Guidelines for Safe Job Search for additional information.

Another way to mitigate applying to fraudulent posts is to look at company reviews on Indeed Company Pages or do a web search on the company along with search terms like “scam” to see if job seekers have experienced issues in their applications.

Related: The Complete Guide To Researching a Company

If you don’t live in the same city as the job you’re applying for, listing your current address can get your resume quickly rejected. Especially if the employer is looking for a local candidate.

If you seek a job outside of a reasonable commuting radius, be transparent with the employer about your intentions. Let them know if you have plans to relocate within your cover letter or resume to keep it viable.

—Carolynn Bruce, SHRM-SCP

Instead, consider adding a line notating your intent to relocate, like this:

Mary Kingston
(555) 555-5555
mkingston@email.com
Relocating to Tampa, FL in Fall 2018

It is important to be honest with employers about your current physical location if they indicate wanting a local candidate, but adding your willingness and desire to relocate to the employer’s area can give your application a better chance.

How to include your address on a resume

If you have decided to include your address, there are a few ways you can go about it. If you have any security concerns or have decided to include your address in case it would be helpful for the employer, you have the option to simply list your city or region.

Here are a few examples of ways to handle listing your address, depending on what you are comfortable with and what you think will be most helpful in the hiring process:

• No Address

• City, State
  Example: St. Louis, MO
  

• City, State and Zip Code
  Example: St. Louis, MO 63101
  

• Complete Address
  Example: 555 Pine St.
  St. Louis, MO 63101
  

• Area or Region
  Example: Saint Louis Missouri Region
  

• Relocating
  Example: Relocating to Tampa, FL

When deciding whether or not to include your physical address on a resume, consider your comfort level in including this sensitive information. Because online is the foremost form of hiring communications, leaving your address off your resume shouldn’t hurt your chances of moving forward. A more appropriate time to disclose this information might be when you’ve established a deeper relationship with the employer, and they require your physical address to onboard you as their newest employee.