Should I put my home address on my resume?

When speaking about resume and what the contact information should include, I often get if we should include our mailing address or not. This time around I thought important for me to talk about this. As we already know we should always include our names (a few points larger font than the one we used for the rest of the resume), phone number (home or cell phone) and email address.

If you noticed I did not mention the home address. Some believe that an address should be left out because they are afraid employers plug it into Google maps to see if a candidate is not in an acceptable range from the job or not. I actually have different reasons as far as why we should not include our address on a resume.

My reasons to leave it out are as follows:

1. Privacy: Now days, it is almost a requirement to upload and apply for a job via internet. There are many job posting sites that are public for employers to look for potential candidates. There are also many sites that a resume can be uploaded to get noticed. After the resume is on the internet, there is no control over who sees it and where it ends up.

2. Then and Now: In earlier years, a home address was placed in case an employer wanted to send written information to a potential job candidate. Now days, an email serves that function. Employers rather communicate in a manner that will be fast and effective.

3. Consistency: This last reason is one of my personal ones. I believe that in modern times we are individuals of movement. Often times we find ourselves moving from an apartment or home. An email on the other hand, does not change. When listing an email, do not use a work email. Instead, use a personal one.

Now that I have revealed why an address should be left out, I must close saying that it is purely a personal choice. Including your address or not will not increase or decrease your possibilities of obtaining the position.

Good Luck!

Happy New Year! 2012 will be a year of new beginnings and when dreams will be realized.

For some, new years is often accompanied with new career and new start to college. If a new college, I recommend before spending your money, check the accreditation. I will strongly suggest that this be done when applying small and not well known colleges or higher learning institutions.

For more information on college accreditation please visit http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Index.aspx.

Another important fact to know when looking and applying for college is to research the program that you are interested in. Many have organizations where you can research which college provide the best and recognized programs. For example if you are interested in law, you can begin your research by visiting www.americanbar.org.

Good luck and good colleging!