Adding Your Contact Information to Your Resume

Maybe it seems a bit obvious, standard, and unimportant to add your contact information on your resume.

But, stick with us…

The presentation of your contact details on your resume is vital to your job hunting success.

The first rule to live by, is to add your resume contact details at the very top of your opening page. Rule two: since it’s the first thing that gets read, the details matter.

There are plenty of resume formats for you to choose from, and whichever one you opt to use, you still need to have a perfect resume contact info, so you look like a pro to hiring managers. So…

What’s the purpose of your resume contact information section?

Put simply…

Your contact information is there to tell recruiters how they can get in touch with you. No matter the field you work in, you’ve got to include your:

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number

It’s pretty normal to also note your home address and a link for your LinkedIn profile. If you need some of the resume contact information examples, here’s a reference for what it should look like:

It looks pretty standard, right? Easy as it seems, you do need to know some rules about how to add contact information to your resume…

Adding Resume Contact Information: The Rules

Now we’ve gone through the nuts and bolts of what your contact information actually is, we’re going to cover in-depth how to complete each part of your contact information section:

• Use your full name, not your locker room name or what your kid cousins call you;
• Use your full address, unless you’ve got legitimate privacy concerns, in which case give a shorter but still accurate version. City / State / Zip should work as an alternative, and you can leave it off completely if you’re going for a remote role;
• Have a professional email address if you want the recruiter to get past the first couple of inches of the page. You’re not a kid anymore; your first ever Gmail probably doesn’t make the right impression - would you employ xx_im_a_belieber_xx@yourmail.net? Create a simple and clear address for job applications, steve.rogers@gmail.com makes a lot more sense;
• Include a working phone number and make sure it’s turned on a ready to be answered;
• Put links for your relevant social media profiles if they’re relevant and you want to, LinkedIn is a great idea. You know the industry you work in; include standard profiles for your sector, for example, Github, Dribble, Behance, Medium, etc. Avoid irrelevant links, a photographer will want to add an Instagram account, an engineer not so much;
• Provide an alternative contact option such as a Skype ID if you might have availability issues, but it’s not mandatory.

Pro-Tip

If you’ve got more than one base, like a college dorm or military posting as well as a home address, give them both and note them as your current and permanent addresses. Including dates you’re at either can help, but keep on top of these dates and delete them once they pass.

What Not to Include in Your Contact Information

Getting your resume filled with the right information is vital, and leaving out the irrelevant details is just as important. This applies to your resume contact information as much as anywhere else. Here’s what to avoid:

• An address you don’t use is pointless on your resume if your post goes somewhere else, like a PO box;
• The phone number for your current workplace, no matter how long you spend tied to your desk. It’s not going to sit well with your current employer if you keep getting calls from prospective new employers, even if they know you’re looking to leave. Include your cell phone number and turn on voicemails;
• A picture is actually standard across European, and some other countries. However, most English-speaking countries, like the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, will find a headshot unusual unless you’re applying for acting or entertainment roles. Check if the country you’re applying in is going to want a photo on your resume;
• Your date of birth isn’t a great idea because it can lead to age discrimination. Know your industry though, jobs like bartending have age requirements so you’ll want to confirm you’re old enough to take on.

Pro-Tip

If you wonder where to put contact information on your resume, it’s your choice if you want to go for left-justified or centered contact information. What’s really important is that you leave a line break between your contact information and the following section.

When Not to Include Your Private Information

For example your address. There are a few valid reasons for you keeping your full address off your resume. It’s sensitive information so it’s up to you to choose if you’re happy to disclose it on your resume or not. Here are some things you might want to consider when deciding whether to exclude your address:

• Security reasons - if you’re worried about your personal safety, still make sure your email and phone number are on your resume so potential employers know how to ask for more information from you;
• Personal privacy - it’s ok to feel uncomfortable with sharing such a sensitive piece of information. If you’re not entirely comfortable with adding your address to your resume, leave it off;
• Using a third-party jobs site - if you’re not certain about the legitimacy of an advert on a third party website, track down the posting on a site you trust or direct with the company.

Pro-Tip

Avoid adding your full address if you’re applying for a role that’s in a different city or state to where you live. Particularly if they’re looking for a local candidate, you could get rejected pretty quickly. The alternative is to add a quick sentence explaining your intentions to relocate.

Writing a Resume Headline

Next to your contact section, we recommend you include a resume headline, too.

Why?

Easy; your headline puts your resume into context immediately for the reader. Hiring managers can use it to accurately filter through a pile on their desk, so a headline is going to help you get on the pile to get a callback.

An effect and simple resume headline is one that is simply the name of the position you want to land, like “Senior Software Developer”, “Sales Executive with Experience in Insurance Management”, “Detail-Oriented QA with Selenium Automation Experience”, etc.

Pro-Tip

Double and triple check your contact information, just like every other detail on your resume. Get one character wrong in your phone number or email and you’re could miss out on the job of your dreams, and typos aren’t that uncommon.

Final Thoughts

It’s not too tough to get your resume contact information looking professional.

Stick to relevant and professional information and don’t forget a resume headline.

Read our full guide on how to write the perfect resume objective and check out another handy guide for more details on what to include in your CV.

To get you started and filled with inspiration, check out our free resume samples that work for a whole host of job situations. Checking out these templates will help you know what to aim for in pretty much any employment circumstance.

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