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Should I put my address on my resume? It seems impossible to get a straight answer. We examine the pros and cons and put this issue to bed once and for all.
Should I put my address on my resume? It seems like a no brainer. But whether to include your address on your resume is a pretty controversial topic.
There’s a bunch of arguments both for and against.
Some say putting an address on a resume makes it harder to find a job. On the other hand, some say leaving it out is the problem.
What it all comes down to though is having the best shot at being hired. You’re not interested in reading a dozen opinions that all say different things. So I’m going to cut through the noise so you don’t have to.
This guide will show you:
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Here’s a selection of guides on what should be included in a resume:
1
When putting your address on your resume include either your full mailing address (street address, city, state, and zip code), or just your city and state. It’s a good idea to write your state name in full if the postal abbreviation is easily confused with another, like MI, MS, and MO.
Here’s how the two variations look.
103 S Commercial St, Branson, MO 65616
Branson, Missouri
That’s how to write your address on your resume. Next, let’s cover where to put your address on your resume.
Thankfully that’s not up for debate. Just include your resume header, alongside your name, optimized LinkedIn profile and cleaned up social media links.
Now for the controversial part. Let’s look at the arguments for and against putting your address on a resume.
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2
Addresses in resumes date back to the time when an employer could only write back by sending you a paper communication device known as a letter.
Back to modern times however and everything occurs online, but this holdover from recruitment days of yore still persists.
Here’s some of the arguments for including your address on your resume.
Makes sense.
So don’t let this make you feel obliged to include your address on your resume. It’s a pretty weak argument.
But—
The only original source insisting that an ATS compliant resume means including your address is a Time magazine article. It says, “If you don’t include it, you might not get considered at all.” It’s from all the way back in 2012, so it’s out of date and it was vague about the source of the info.
It doesn’t help that the companies responsible for developing ATS suites remain tight-lipped about the exact specs of their products. If they publicize that info candidates could game the system and make the software useless for their customers.
So in the absence of evidence either way, I’m going to file this under “unproven.”
If I still haven’t convinced you then relax. I’ve got a tactic for you to beat the system.
But first—
What are the arguments against putting your address on a resume?
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3
There are some purely practical arguments against writing your address on a resume and some reasons that are sinister. First up, a practical consideration.
You know, the stuff that actually lands you the job.
Good point. With 250 applicants battling for each job, one additional skill or achievement could make all the difference. This one makes perfect sense.
Yes, it cuts both ways. Why take the risk of someone relocating from 500 miles away when you have an acceptable candidate in the same city?
Or maybe the hiring manager doesn’t think a candidate from Vermont could be a good cultural fit or have the expertise to work for an oil company in Dallas. This seems plausible.
But there are even darker reasons your address may work against you.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects individuals against employment discrimination on the basis of race and color as well as national origin, sex, or religion.
Sadly though, resume bias still persists. On average, white applicants receive 36% more callbacks than black applicants with identical resumes. Compared to Latino applicants, it’s 24% more.
So how is this relevant to putting your address on your resume?
You probably wouldn’t want to work for an employer where decision-makers hold such reprehensible views.
But—
A job’s a job, so you may wish to leave out your address to cover that possibility and hope the person carrying out the interviews isn’t so judgmental.
Discrimination has been statistically proven to exist, so this one is a reasonable argument for not putting your address on a resume.
Bet you didn’t see that coming when you started reading.
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4
The arguments for including your mailing address aren’t convincing and the evidence backing them is weak.
On the other hand, at least one of the arguments against is backed by solid evidence and they seem more plausible.
There is a real practical implication when you look at the way it impacts your resume layout for example.
Therefore, my final answer to should I put my address on my resume is—
It’s optional. So—
ATS software is programmed to scan for keywords. This way it’ll pick up the location keywords and you’ll be covered.
It may look slightly odd when a human looks at it, but not enough to get you rejected. Here’s how to do it.
Energetic and driven customer service rep with 3+ years of professional experience assisting customers in resolving challenging issues. Awarded Consultant of the Month three times. Helped reduce First Response Time by 20% within the first quarter of employment. Looking to support ABC Inc. in San Diego 92071 in its drive to become a market-leading solution through proven customer support skills.
Not strictly necessary, but a way to get around this potential issue if it concerns you.
That’s it, we’ve fully addressed this question!
Let’s sum it up.
Have you got anything to add to the debate? Maybe some insider tips to answer the ATS question of do you put your address on a resume. Let us know in the comments section.
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