Applying for a job? Here’s why you shouldn’t put your home address on your resume

Michael Timmermann | May 1st, 2017

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If you’re looking to make a career move soon, you’ve probably spent a good amount of time tailoring your resume for each individual job.

But on each version of your resume, is your home address listed at the top? That may be limiting your opportunities.

Job experts: Remove your address from your resume

Donna Svei of AvidCareerist.com, a resume writer and interview coach, says recruiters are “doing the math” when they see your physical address.

What she means is they’re calculating how long it will take you to get to work.

As Svei explains, recruiters know that employees with long commutes have more stress and could resign because of the long drive to the office every day.

So, your resume may not make it into the “yes” pile simply because of where you live.

Instead of putting a physical address at the top of the resume, Svei recommends listing the city location of your current or most recent employer.

For example: Brown Automotive Services, Springfield, Missouri

What if you’re looking for out-of-state work? Your current address is a giveaway that you’re not local, and some employers only consider nearby applicants.

Here’s the dilemma many job seekers in this situation face:

Should I be honest and use my current address?
Should I lie and use a friend or family member’s address, or even make one up?

Recruiter Biron Clark of CareerSidekick.com says there’s a third option, which also includes leaving your address off the resume like Svei suggests.

He recommends that you use the address space to tell the employer you’re moving (or willing to move).

For example: Relocating to New York in July 2017

To be clear, these experts aren’t recommending that you be dishonest. The purpose of these methods is to avoid being eliminated from consideration before you can explain your situation to a hiring manager.

Once you’ve secured an interview, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss your commute or plans to relocate.

And speaking of relocation, here’s a possible drawback. You could potentially lose out on relocation assistance if you tell an employer that you’re relocating with or without a job. So if you’re concerned about that, you may just want to specifically point out that you’re willing (or want) to relocate.

This post was last modified on May 1, 2017 2:58 pm