The answer to whether or not to include your address on your resume is this: maybe.

include your address on your resumeHere are 2 reasons not to include your address on your resume:

ATS Ah, the evils of ATS software! It’s programmed to reject resumes that are not within whatever the employer considers reasonable proximity to the job location. So let’s say that you live in New York City, but are open to opportunities in Austin, TX or Boston, MA. If you submit your resume online, even if your cover letter mentions that you are willing to relocate at your own expense, the ATS software will reject your resume, and neither it nor your cover letter will be read by human eyes.

Recruiter discrimination Recruiters are only interested in candidates who 1) they think have a good chance to get hired and 2) who are likely to be retained (at least long enough for the recruiter to get paid!). So if a recruiter thinks that even if you get the offer, a difficult commute might cause you to bail on the job, he or she won’t present you to the hiring manager.

And here are 2 reasons you should include your address in your resume

It’s expected It’s still expected, and to many people, your resume will look odd without an address. Also there’s a chance that a recruiter might feel that you’re trying to hide something if you don’t include it. I personally don’t think this is much of an issue. So long as your mobile phone number and email address is featured directly under your name, a recruiter can contact you, interview you,and assure himself or herself that you are a legitimate candidate.

It may work to your advantage I’ve had clients who wanted to apply for positions at companies within their own neighborhoods, or at least close by. Hiring managers would love to make an offer to a qualified candidate who won’t have issues with lateness due to commuting problems or bad weather. So in cases such as proximity, I’d definitely include your address.

Consider having two versions of your resume – one with your address and one without. If you are going to post your resume online, leave off your address. If you are applying to positions via email near your home, leave it in, but it’s best not to include precise locations, such as your apartment number.

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