how to write address in resume

How to List Address on a Resume in 2025 – Format, Pro Tips & Examples

Written by Evgeni Asenov

SEO / Content

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.

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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 November 26, 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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Should You Include Your Home Address On Your Resume?

In the era of remote work, deciding on resume address inclusion can be perplexing. Our 2024 guide provides direct, recruiter-endorsed advice to help you make informed decisions.

2 years ago   •   10 min read

In an era where remote work is becoming more and more prevalent, it can be tough to decide if your address belongs on your resume. This practice may have been commonplace 10 years ago, but is it still what recruiters are looking for in 2024?

Today, including your address on your resume depends on multiple factors, including industry trends, privacy concerns, and the nature of the role you're applying for. Including your home address can show employers you're local and available for in-person interviews. However, providing just a city and state is becoming the standard and is preferred for remote and out-of-country applications.

In this article, we’ll discuss when, why, and how you might choose to include your address on your resume, along with a few common alternatives you might prefer. We’ll discuss how this practice varies across different industries, how address requirements change for remote and international applicants, and how to make the best choice for your unique situation.

Should you put your home address on your resume?

In short, no. These days, you do not need to include your full home address on your resume. It is not necessary for most applications, especially remote work.

The benefit of including a home address is that it makes it easier for employers to verify your location and shows the recruiter you don’t need to relocate for the position. However, including your address also takes up valuable space on your resume, could lead to bias based on your geographical location, and could compromise your privacy if shared online.

Unless the application specifically requests it, you are better off just stating your city and state/country. This provides your employer with general location information to help with recruitment but does not compromise your safety and security.

How to decide if including your address is right for you

Including your home address, or a version of it, on your resume is entirely dependent on the type of application you’re submitting and the requirements of that role. Generally, it is not necessary, but there are a few situations where it might be relevant.

Why employers might want to see your home address

Some employers may need your home address for specific recruitment tasks, such as:

• Background checks
• To determine your ability to work in the country
• Criminal record checks (if required for your industry)
• For their Application Tracking System

When is it mandatory to provide an address?

Certain applications require a street address, including:

• Applying for government or public service work
• When relocation costs are relevant
• If the work is location specific, such as if knowledge of an area or in-person meetings are required

When is it ok to leave your address off your resume?

• If applying on a third-party website, it’s good practice to omit your home address for privacy and security reasons
• When applying out-of-country
• When you are moving soon, to ensure your contact details aren’t out-of-date

If you’re wondering what else, like your home address, should or shouldn’t be included on your resume, upload it to the tool below — it’ll scan your resume and give you detailed feedback on what to remove or add into your resume.

Where to include your home address on your resume

Your address should appear in your resume header , with your other primary contact information, such as name, phone number, and email address.

For example, here is a resume that includes the applicant’s address in the header using the city, state format.

Formatting options for your address

Here are some of the most common formatting options for resume addresses:

City, State

This is the most common format and widely used across various industries.Here is an example of a header using the city, state format:

City, State, Zip Code

This is a good alternative to the above if you are applying locally.See how this applicant uses the city, state, zip code format in their resume header:

City, Country

This style is useful for out-of-country and remote job applications.This applicant uses the city, country format in their two column resume:

Area or Region

This format is great for local applications.For example, this applicant uses both their general area address and a LinkedIn profile in their header:

Any of the above, plus “Open To Remote”

This is a good way to indicate location flexibility.This resume uses the city, state format and Open to Remote for their address:

How to write your home address depending on your type of residence

How to list your home address will vary depending on your living situation. Here are some options to consider:

Residential vs permanent address

If you have two addresses, opt for the address where you reside most often. If you’re applying for a location-specific job, choose the location that best fulfills the job requirements, or that is closest to your employer.

If you are currently living at a temporary address, you can list both permanent and temporary addresses, indicating which is which, or opt for just your permanent address.

For example:

Permanent Address: 123 Main Street, Hometown, State, Zip Code

Temporary Address: 456 College Ave, Campus Town, State, Zip Code

In this example, the permanent address is listed first, followed by the temporary address, with clear labels for each.

If you are relocating

If you are in the process of relocating , it is acceptable to write that you are “relocating to X”. Include a date for your relocation or simply put the city or area you will be moving to shortly.For example:

Relocating to San Francisco, CA | P: +1 215 2778870 | [email protected]

Relocating to San Francisco by 05/23 | P: +1 215 2778870 | [email protected]

Including a PO Box

If your home address includes a PO Box, it is not necessary to include this on your resume. If your employer requires a postal address, they will ask for it specifically. You can also consider using a PO Box as an alternative to a street address.

If you live in an apartment complex

If you live in an apartment building, it is not necessary to include your apartment number, complex name, or street address. Opt for just City and State, or region. Only use a complex name if applying locally.

Alternatives to putting your home address on your resume

Let's dive into some practical alternatives to putting your full home address on your resume.

Use a general location: City and State

General locations are the best alternative to using your full street address. They take up less space while still providing the appropriate information. This is fast becoming the most popular option in most industries.

Use a general area or district

If applying locally, when distance or specific location is relevant, consider using a general area or district name. Be sure it is a name your employer will recognize and isn’t too specific or long-winded.

A good example: Creekside, Whistler, BC

A bad example: Gondola Way, Creekside, Whistler Blackcomb Mountain Resort, Whistler, BC.

Use your email address

This is common practice when applying for out-of-country or remote work, as email will likely be your primary avenue of communication. Ensure your email communications are professional and send the right message by researching email networking templates before you apply.

Use a virtual address

If you have a website or an online portfolio, you can use these as a virtual address. This is best for remote-job  applications.

Use your LinkedIn profile as your address

LinkedIn is quickly emerging as the go-to tool for recruiters and a great place to find your next job . Many recruiters expect a LinkedIn profile these days and providing one in place of your physical address is common in creative and freelance industries.

If you plan to use your LinkedIn profile as your address, give our LinkedIn Review tool a try to ensure your profile is optimized for the work you’re seeking and receive tailored feedback on improving your visibility.

Advice for local, remote, and overseas applications

Whether you're applying just around the corner or across the globe, let's explore some tailored advice for local, remote, and overseas job applications to help you get your address just right.

Applying locally vs further afield

You can use small town or district names if applying locally, but stick to large cities if applying from afar. For example: If you live in Vancouver and are applying for a job in Vancouver, you can use “North Vancouver” or “Burnaby”, but for jobs elsewhere, stick to simply “Vancouver”.

North America vs Europe

When applying for work in North America, it is common to only state City and State for your address. Whereas in Europe, it is still best practice to include your full address and zip code.

Applying overseas

When applying overseas, it is customary to include your nearest city (preferably a large city the recruiter will have heard of) and your country of residence, so recruiters are aware of your current time zone.

Applying for remote work

When Applying for remote work , City and State, or City and Country is most common. You can also include the phrase “Open To Remote” next to your address, to indicate this. You may also choose to omit your address entirely for remote applications to avoid any potential geographical bias.

Industry-specific considerations for including your address on your resume

Different industries have different expectations when it comes to the relevance of your address. Assessing the job description, company culture, and industry practices can help you decide on including your address or not.Here are some key industry-specific considerations:

• Government and public service: In fields like government or public service, including your full address is often necessary due to security clearances, residency requirements, and background checks.
• Tech and startups: In tech and startup environments, where remote work is prevalent, the focus is usually more on your skills and experience than your geographical location. Here, city and state are commonly preferred unless the job is location-dependent.
• Healthcare and education: In healthcare and education, especially for roles tied to specific institutions, including a local address can be helpful, or at least indicating that you are willing to relocate.
• Creative and freelance work: In creative industries, physical location is often less relevant as remote work is more prevalent, and your portfolio, skills, and adaptability hold more weight than geographical location.
• Sales and retail: For sales and retail, especially when the job requires knowledge of a specific area, including your address can demonstrate your familiarity with the area.
• Manufacturing and logistics: In these industries, location can be important for roles requiring physical presence in a specific area, so including a full address can be beneficial.
• Remote-first companies: For companies with a remote-first policy, your specific address is often irrelevant. Highlighting your ability to work remotely is more crucial.
• International companies: If you're applying to international companies, especially where relocation might be involved, city and country are preferred, as well as mentioning your willingness to relocate if necessary.

Advice for international job seekers

International job seekers face unique challenges when it comes to including an address on their resume, as the format and relevance of your address can vary significantly depending on the country you are applying to.

Understand the norms of the country

Research the standard resume practices in the country you're applying to. In some countries, a full address, including street and zip code, is standard, while in others, the city and country are more common. When providing a full address, follow international postal standards. This makes it easier for employers from other countries to understand and process your information.

Use city and country format

For international applications, it's advisable to include your city and country, especially if you're applying from a different country than the job location. This provides clarity on your current location without the need for full address details.

Consider the employer's perspective

Think about what the employer needs to know. If the job isn't location-dependent, such as in remote work, the specific address is less relevant.

Indicate your willingness to relocate

If you’re applying for a job in a different country and are willing to relocate, make this clear. You can do this by including a line such as 'Willing to relocate' near your address in your resume header.

Resume address FAQs

Do employers verify home addresses on resumes.

It's important to be aware that providing an address on your resume can lead to its verification. Employers may verify your home address for various reasons, including background checks, assessing commute times, or confirming local residency. This verification is usually part of a broader background check process and may involve simple methods such as checking public records or more thorough inquiries through background check services. If you're concerned about privacy or safety, consider including only your city and state.

What address should I use if I live in shared housing or have privacy concerns?

If you live in shared housing or have privacy concerns, it's important to balance your safety with the need to provide location information. Remember, you can include just your city and state instead of a full street address. This approach respects your privacy and the confidentiality of those you live with while still giving potential employers an idea of your geographical location.

Can I use a fake home address?

This is not recommended. Any form of lying on your resume is a poor first impression, and providing a false address will only impugn your character if you’re found to be lying.

Does including your home address affect ATS?

Many employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter resumes based on keyword criteria. For roles that require local candidates, ATS might be configured to prioritize resumes with local addresses. Conversely, for remote positions, ATS might be looking for the terms “remote” and “open to remote” instead.

Excluding your home address won't necessarily disadvantage your application, but if you are applying for a local position, including a local area/city might be beneficial. However, many modern ATS algorithms focus more on your skills, experience, and qualifications rather than your location, especially if the job is not location-specific.

• Career Advice

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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.

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