A recent topic of discussion among professional resume writers on a group forum centered around whether or not an address should be included on a resume. There used to be no question of including an address or not; it was standard practice by those writing a resume and expected by those receiving the resume.

However, as times have changed there really does seem to be less of a reason to include a physical address on a resume. Back in the “old days” of job searching a physical address was needed for the dreaded rejection letter but really served no other purpose, unless of course the hiring manager wanted to stop by for a personal visit, but really did that ever happened?

There are valid concerns as to why job applicants would want to omit their address with personal security, privacy issues, and identity theft topping the list. With the ease of access that the internet provides more and more people are becoming concerned with these issues and have become increasingly cautious of the information they put out there. Since the majority of job searches focus on internet job sites it does make sense to guard your personal information and only provide what is absolutely necessary. If you are posting your resume on a job site I would recommend that you remove your address since it will be viewable in a public forum.

If you find that employers are requesting an address and privacy is a concern you may want to consider investing in a PO Box. Another option to consider is a mailbox service. UPS provides a mailbox service that lets you have an actual street address but operates the same idea as a PO Box. Another company offering this service is The Mailbox Store. These services allow you to create an address in another location. I often find that candidates are concerned that they won’t be considered for a position if they are applying from out of state. If a candidate is looking to relocate they may want to consider using a mailbox service to appear “local” if they feel an out of area address has been hindering their job search.

Another thing to keep in mind is that location - city, state, or zip code - can be used as a parameter in applicant tracking systems. I don’t know how often location is used to identify or eliminate candidates but it is something to think about. If you are concerned with privacy you could include only your city, state, and zip code.

I have heard that hiring managers and recruiters do like an address on a resume but they are fine with only a city and state. Leaving it off completely could leave them wondering why you would not want your location known. It’s possible that it could send up a red flag.

Deciding whether or not to include your address is really up to you. When making the decision there are a few things to consider. How do you plan to use your resume? Will it be posted on public job boards? Are you applying to a job in a different area? It’s best to assess your situation and let that guide your decision.