Creating a perfect resume involves not just showcasing your skills and experiences – it also demands what personal information to keep on your resume.
One common question job seekers face while creating a resume is whether to include a physical address.
The short answer: Typically, no. In this digital era your online address is enough for the companies to get back to you. Unless it's mandatory from the other end.
This article includes a detailed analysis about addresses on resumes. Scroll down to burst the dilemma and come out with a worthy decision.
Why should you include an address on your resume?
1Allure traditional employers
Address on resume may give a vintage vibe to Gen Z but it's still mandatory to old school employers. After all, for some employers a resume is incomplete without the address of the applicant.
2ATS (Application Tracking System) supports address
Resume with address provides better results through ATS. If an employer is looking for profiles near to the company location, they might have this address filter in ATS.
3Easy for postal communication
Indeed everything is online but still some top notch companies prefer postal communications along with the trending online approaches. Moreover, the government sector employers still follow postal communication in their hiring process. For their communication ease an address format for resume becomes a must.
4For a brief background check
Nowadays top employers are more concerned about the location of their prospective employees. A detailed address helps employees to know whether the applicant is local or remote. Applicants may choose to include only the city name as address if revealing the actual address is inconvenient to the applicant.
5For distance preference
Address is a better way to find applicant's proximity from the prospective job location. Many companies provide commute facilities to their employees. No hidden truth, companies prefer employees with less proximity to job location.
Why should you not add an address on your resume?
1Resume looks outdated
The top reason why applicants want to skip the address part is that they want to make their resume look up to date. For some, a resume with an address looks old- fashioned. Chopping off the unnecessary details from the resume makes your resume simple yet lucrative.
2To keep resume concise
'Less is more', this saying goes better with resume layout in 2025. A concise form of resume provides better readability. Razing off the address from the resume will make it more to the point and reader friendly.
3It puts your privacy at stake
A permanent home address in a resume may invite unnecessary chaos if gone in wrong hands. To secure your privacy you should not add your complete physical address on your resume.
4Address reveals your location
Showing your location on your resume may go against you and create distance bias to the employers. If your location is a bit far from the hiring company then it may negatively affect your hiring in the prospective company.
5Hinder creativity
A creative resume and a traditional resume format does not go hand in hand. For the creative perspective, either you should not include the address or must choose a creative way to write the address on the resume.
When is the address on your resume required?
When applying for government jobs
Government jobs are most likely to ask for the official postal address of the applicant. In such a scenario an applicant must not risk his/her hiring chances by eliminating the address from the resume.
When the employer is location centric
Some employers are more concerned about the demographic background of the applicant. A brief background check about the current employees of the company can facilitate an idea about it.
When applying for public services
Your current location becomes the prime interest to the employers when you seek jobs in the public services sector. For such jobs the address details of the applicant becomes prime preference in the resume of the applicant.
How to write an address on your resume?
As earlier said, being creative in your resume is the need of the hour. Here are some cool examples listed below which will give you an idea about scribbling the address in the resume.
Complete postal address
Either you are applying for government jobs or keeping your resume postal communication friendly, this format includes all the mailing details.
Example: Luise philip, 123 down street, Alameda, San Francisco, USA, 9501
City and State
Keep it concise with the name of your city and state. This format is best for applicants who want to give hints about their location without violating their privacy.
Example: Alameda, San Francisco
City, state and pin (zip) code
This type of address is neither too short nor revealing your exact location. Addition of pincode will provide a rough idea to employers about your location.
Example: Alameda, San Francisco, 9501
City and state
The best way to end the address confusion is by placing the city and state name just below your name. This short form of your address will end the confusion in a smart way.
Example: Alameda, San Francisco
What are the alternatives to a permanent home address?
Address of family/friends
If you don't have the permanent home address then you can choose your relatives and friends address as yours. Don't forget to inform the residents about your move. Also, keep asking about any delivered document of your name.
Temporary post office box address
For public convenience post offices issue post office box addresses to the needed people. Apply for the post office box address at your nearest post office branch. Later use this address as your alternative address in your resume.
Linkedin profile URL
Address formats for resume which includes the Linkedin URL are hitting the board in terms of preference. You must share your linkedin URL on your resume. This way the employers get a chance to go through a LinkedIn profile and have a sneak-peak on your professional journey.
Your landlord's address
When putting an address in a resume is a must and you don't have a permanent physical address then you can choose this option. Make sure your landlord is reliable. You must inform the landlord about sharing the address details. Go ahead only after taking consent from the landlord.
Final verdict
The conclusion is that you must put your address on the resume when it's mandatory. Write an address which has only zip code and city name if the address is hindering creativity and originality of the resume.
The bottom line is, don't leave any stone untouched in your resume so that it qualifies all the quality checks. Insert the address smartly on your resume and keep it to the point. Forsure, your resume will pass the ATS scan while being professional and creative at the same time.
Posted by
RohithRohith, Co-Founder of ResumeUp.AI, with a decade of experience in the software industry and having conducted over 500+ interviews as a hiring manager, shares his personal experiences, success stories, and tips to help job seekers optimize their resumes and land their dream job.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the address in the resume mandatory?
Writing an address in your resume is completely optional. Mostly it depends on the resume layout and kind of job for which the applicant is applying.
What to add in a resume if the applicant doesn't have a permanent address?
In such situations, a professional online address is best. Applicants can give a post box address for postal communication when it's mandatory.
Does a resume without an address appeals to employers?
Yes, a resume without an address appeals to employers. There is no hard and fast rule about the applicant's address in the resume. It all depends on the employer's needs and perspective.
What to write on a resume if the applicant is relocating?
Applicants must start the address writing process with the words like relocating to. By writing the address in this way the employers will understand that the applicant is going through the relocation process.