With limited space on your CV, everything you include must work towards that ideal job you’re aiming for. Putting your address on your CV might seem like a small decision, but the devil is in the details.
To make the best decision for the job you’re applying for, you’ll need to understand the questions running through a hiring manager’s mind as they look at your CV. Luckily, we’ve guided a host of professionals through the job search process. Now we’re here to help you navigate this question.
This blog post will cover:
- The advantages and disadvantages of putting your address on your CV?
- When you should consider including your address on your CV
- Where you should list your address on your CV
- Alternatives to listing your address on your CV
Do you need your address on your CV?
There are many reasons why including your address on your CV may have been useful in the past. However, for most job types, the hiring manager will just need to know your general location instead of your precise street address.
Before the birth of the internet and email communication, snail mail was the main way an employer used to communicate with a prospective employee. Today a combination of emails and phone calls has replaced almost all of this communication in most industries.
As remote and hybrid work has become increasingly popular, the need for an employer to know your residential address in the early stages of the application process has pretty much disappeared.
Make it easy for the hiring manager to get in touch
Gone are the days of relying solely on postal services to communicate. Arguably, it’s more important to make sure you are including ways for the hiring manager to get in contact with you. For instance:
- Phone number
- Email address
- LinkedIn profile
Start to flex your stellar communication skills by making sure your CV layout is clear so that this information is easy to find.
Today, the general rule of thumb is to include your address on your CV only when it is explicitly asked for by the employer. In all other cases, you’ll want to consider how to list your location on your CV. More specifically, think about what you have to gain or to lose in each individual case.
Pros and cons of putting your location in your CV content
Since including your physical address is rarely a necessity, let’s consider some pros and cons of listing your location on your CV. Every job application is different. So keep these in mind when you’re choosing the best solution for you for each iteration of your CV.
Advantages of sharing your location on your CV
Confirming your local knowledge
If local knowledge is relevant to the role then employers may want to make sure that you’re from the area. It should be sufficient to mention your town or city. If you live in a big city, you may choose to mention your neighbourhood.
Showing your reliability
When competition for a position is strong, it’s not impossible that a manager’s hiring decision is partially based on a candidate’s location. To prevent the risk of late arrivals due to commuting problems, employers may opt for the person who lives closer.
Simplifying the HR admin
Including your address on your CV from the get-go could make certain bureaucratic processes within HR more straightforward. However, it’s quite easy for your employer to ask you for your residential address later down the line if you are offered the job.
Switch it up
Your decision on how to - or not to - put your location on your CV will depend on factors that are unique to each job application. That’s just one more reason to make sure that you tailor each version of your CV to the job opportunity that you’re applying for.
Disadvantages of sharing your location on your CV
Giving away your lengthy commute
In the same way that you could land a role because you live nearby, if you would have a long commute you may want to avoid including your address in your CV’s content. This will prevent it from becoming a factor in a hiring manager’s decision.
Risking location bias
You may run the risk of hiring bias if you include your full address. Employers could use it as a means of inferring your social class or even educational background. Including your city only will help your experience and skills speak for themselves.
Risking privacy concerns
Your full address is sensitive information. You wouldn’t share it with a stranger on the street, so it’s natural to not want to share it with a potential employer or a job search site. If the location is relevant to the role, including your town or city will be sufficient for most employers.
The algorithm and your address
For years recruiters have been using ATS scanners to screen CVs for keywords.
If the city name is present in the job description, it may be one of the CV keywords the ATS software uses to filter out applicants. If that’s the case, be sure to match your CV’s language with the wording in the job description when you list your location on your CV.
This way you can be more certain that your application will make it through to the next stage of applicant screening!
Remote work and adding your address on your CV
Unless a specific language is required, or time zones could affect your work patterns, it’s not so important to include your location on your CV for a remote job. We advise that you double-check the requirements stated in the job posting to decide whether or not you list your general location.
However, the choice to include your address could also change if the job is hybrid. While hybrid roles offer some remote work, you’ll also be required to head into the workplace now and then. When choosing how to list your location on your CV for a hybrid job, we suggest using the same discretion as you would for an in-person job.
If you still think you’d be a great fit for a hybrid role despite not being based as close as they would like, don’t be afraid to take the initiative and reach out to the hiring manager. They will be able to give you a clear answer about whether your application will still be considered and will probably appreciate your enthusiasm.
Alternatives to listing your address
While sharing your address is unlikely to be necessary, most job seekers will probably decide that listing their location in some form is important. The level of detail you include about your location, on the other hand, is flexible.
Here are some ideas on the wording you could include in your CV header to share your location in a way that meets your needs:
- The first part of your postcode
- Your town or city name
- Your neighbourhood if you live in a big city
- “Willing to relocate”
- “Currently relocating to [insert city name here]”
Relocating and listing your location
Applying for a dream job out of town? If you think that your location could potentially become an obstacle, make sure you highlight that you are willing to relocate or are in the process of moving as part of your application.
You can do this in several ways:
- Specify “willing to relocate” where you would usually list your location.
- Expand on your willingness or decision to relocate in the last line of your CV summary.
- Add a short explanation in your cover letter, too.
- Reach out privately to the hiring manager and let them know.
How to add your location to your CV
Once you’ve taken all of these considerations into account, you should be in a good place to decide how you will - or will not - list your location on your CV.
We recommend including your location in the first section of your CV format: the CV header. This is the part of your CV that sits at the very top of the first page, along with your other contact details.
Here’s a checklist you can consider when tweaking your location on each version of your CV.
- List your city or general location
- Add your neighbourhood if you’re in a big city of it’s relevant information for this job role
- Say “Willing to relocate” if you’re planning to move
- List your exact address unless you have a compelling reason to do so
- Mention your neighbourhood if you could lead to potential bias from the hiring manager
- List your old city you’re moving away from
Key Takeaways
- Your full address is rarely necessary on a modern CV.
- Identify how useful it is to list your location for each individual job application.
- Emphasise your willingness to relocate if you think your location could impact your success in a job application.
- The keywords that the ATS software scans for may include the job’s location. Read the job description carefully before deciding how to include this keyword before submitting your job application.
