Are you aware of this change in resume content?
Resumes are traditionally required to apply for jobs in most industries. Their formats, however, are always evolving. One current trend involves the header section of your resume, and it applies to most formats. It’s a result of the changing times, the way organizations currently do business, and how hiring managers manage their candidate pipelines. Are you curious about what this trend is? It’s omitting the street address on your resume. The reasons why are related to technology, security, and discrimination.
Technology has truly changed our world over the last few decades, and we are living in the digital age. This has affected how companies recruit and process candidates. The majority of applications, which include resumes, are submitted online. The days of sending in your resume via postal mail and receiving a written response from the potential employer in your mailbox are over. It’s all about email during the application process. As a result, it’s not necessary to include your street address on your resume. If an employer does need it, they will request it as part of the application submission that is processed through their online recruiting portal, or they will contact you via email or phone for that information.
Next, if you provide your street address, you allow any reader to instantly plug in your address and see a satellite view of your home. In some situations, this poses a security risk. You never know who will see your resume, or how they will use the information. To maintain your own safety and security, don’t include your street address on your resume.
Finally, divulging your street address on your resume may lead to discrimination against you in your candidacy. How, you ask? One way is related to hiring preferences. Some employers seek candidates in a specific geographic location. If you share your street address on your resume, the employer may eliminate you from consideration before you have the chance to wow them in an interview (which may lead them to disregard their geographic preference). Also, some employers may judge you based on your street address if they deem your home is in an undesirable neighborhood (in their opinion).
The reasons for not including your street address on your resume mentioned above are all valid. In addition to those factors, providing a street address on your resume is old-fashioned. How we apply for jobs and present ourselves professionally is changing. Based on this, rather than providing a full street address, include your city and state (and zip code if you like) when developing your resume.
