As a job seeker, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of including your address on your resume. In any given situation, there could be instances in which providing this piece of information is necessary and valuable for the potential employer as well as cases in which you should avoid including your physical address.

Reasons To Include Your Address

There are some companies that simply won’t consider you as a candidate without including your address on your resume. Here are a few instances in which you should include your address:

You are planning on relocating

Some companies get job applications and resumes from many different parts of the country. They may want to weave out any applicants that are international or out-of-state. Because of this, when applying to jobs that are out-of-state, it is highly important to include your address so you are not wasting your time.

Employers may want to know about your commute and if you can make it to work on time

Most employers will look for candidates who do not have a lengthy commute. A candidate with trouble commuting to the job site will like be late for work on a consistent basis.

Employers may see it as though you have something to hide

Employers may become skeptical if you do not provide an address on your resume. Providing the address can cancel out any concerns the employer may have.

The employer works for the federal government

If you’re going for a state or federal job, 9 times out of 10 they will require their employees to provide a permanent address. You will certainly want to include it on your resume in this instance.

Reasons to Not Include Your Address

In other matters, some candidates feel unsafe providing personal information on their resumes. Here are some reasons where you may want to take precautions before including your address:

You are worried about or have been a victim of identity theft

You could be running a risk when including your full address. Caution should be taken when listing this information.

The job posting is on a 3rd party website

Some 3rd party sites are a hotbed for spam and pose an immediate threat to your safety. You should never include your physical address in these instances.

The job is local

Most local jobs don’t require you to include your physical address as long as your work history shows that you have worked and reside in the given area.

As you can see there are many, many different viewpoints on the topic of including an address on your resume. With modernized technology, it is now acceptable to include the city and state in which you reside or your phone number and email address. By providing these pieces of information, you can give the employer an idea of where you live and they can contact you directly if they have any further questions.