Despite what the “career coach” talking heads may say, you should never put your home address on your resume. And if it’s there now, remove it!
Many things on the SalaryMatters platform go against the conventional wisdom of the many “career coaches” out there trolling the internet. And listing your home address on your resume is an example of one of those “best practices” that often goes unquestioned and yet, when analyzed closely, doesn’t make much sense to include on a resume.
Here’s why, your resume should only have relevant information on it, nothing else. Like 99% of job applicants, where you live is not pertinent and will not afford you any advantages to obtaining the career you seek. Worse, it could actually HURT your chances of landing a career because, of course, there’s a human on the receiving end of your resume.
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What if the recruiter has negative opinions about the residents of a particular neighborhood? Because you’re dealing with people and their potential biases, you do not want to provide any information that is not pertinent to the job you seek.
Based on our experience, nothing positive resulted from candidates providing their home address. And on rare occasions, we have seen some negative consequences as a result of a recruiter looking up someone’s place of residence. Therefore, avoid providing this information because the focus needs to be on your talents, experience, education and whatever else is relevant to convey that you can successfully perform the job at hand – your home address is not one of them. Your email address and phone number are all that’s needed for a resume.
Here’s the deal, when it comes to growing your salary, your resume offers a unique opportunity to let your light shine by offering career seekers like you a chance to list out your accomplishments, credentials, and professional experience. Don’t fall into the trap of sharing irrelevant information for the sake of, “well, everyone else is doing it.” Be smart, because when it comes to growing your salary, having a great resume is vital.
Until the next time we talk, always remember that salary matters.
