The contact information block on a resume serves as the initial introduction to a potential employer. It is the gateway that allows recruiters and hiring managers to extend an invitation for an interview. Ensuring the information is accurate and presented professionally is necessary for moving forward in the hiring process. This section sets the tone for your candidacy and requires meticulous care.
The Absolute Essentials
The three pieces of information required function as the primary channels for direct communication. Displaying your full legal name prominently at the top of the document establishes ownership and formality. This identifier will be used for all background checks and official correspondence.
A dedicated professional phone number is necessary because most initial contact from a recruiter occurs via a voice call. This number should have a recorded voicemail message that is brief and professional, clearly stating your name. Using a personal device is acceptable, but the greeting must be appropriate for a business setting.
The professional email address is the preferred channel for sending interview confirmations, follow-up documents, and offer letters. This address should be simple, ideally using a combination of your first and last name, and must not contain informal, humorous, or dated references. Using an address like “john.doe@email.com” demonstrates a commitment to a serious job search.
Location: The Modern Approach
Listing a geographical location on a resume has evolved to reflect modern hiring practices and privacy concerns. The current standard involves providing only the city and state, or the city and country for applicants pursuing international roles. This is sufficient for recruiters to determine initial alignment with roles that require a specific regional presence or familiarity.
This concise location detail helps hiring teams quickly assess fit for positions designated as hybrid or requiring occasional office visits. Including your full street address is now considered outdated, posing an unnecessary privacy and safety risk for the applicant. An address is irrelevant to the hiring decision and only adds clutter to the top of the document.
Leveraging Digital Professional Links
Supplemental digital links provide recruiters with an expanded view of your professional narrative. The most powerful of these is the LinkedIn profile URL, which acts as a dynamic extension of your career history. Applicants should ensure this URL is customized to be clean and simple, replacing the default string of numbers and letters with their name.
Including a professional portfolio website is necessary for individuals in creative, technical, or specialized fields (e.g., graphic design, content writing, or software development). These sites offer concrete evidence of your skills and accomplishments, allowing hiring managers to evaluate the quality of your work directly. For other professions, a professional website remains optional, but it can showcase thought leadership or detailed projects.
These links complement the resume by providing deeper context and verification of skills. They enhance visibility and make it easier for a hiring manager to find information after the initial resume review.
Information to Omit or Exclude
Modern hiring standards prioritize merit and compliance with anti-discrimination laws, making several traditional data points unnecessary. Applicants should avoid including their date of birth or age, marital status, and any non-professional social media handles, such as Instagram or TikTok accounts. These details are irrelevant to job performance and introduce the possibility of unconscious bias during the screening process.
Photographs of the applicant should also be excluded unless the industry or specific country requires a headshot as a standard part of the application. In the United States and similar markets, a photo can inadvertently introduce bias. The once-common phrase “References available upon request” is obsolete and should be omitted entirely.
Excluding these items streamlines the resume to focus solely on qualifications and experience. Privacy concerns outweigh any perceived benefit of including demographic information.
Formatting and Placement Best Practices
The presentation of the contact information block influences readability for both humans and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). This block should be positioned prominently at the top of the first page. Most applicants choose to center the information or align it neatly to the left margin for clear visibility.
The contact information should be visually distinct but not overpowering, typically utilizing a font size one or two points smaller than the name itself. Ensuring adequate white space and clean line breaks enhances scannability. This clean design helps ensure that an ATS can accurately parse and extract the data without error.
Consistency in design and spacing across the block is necessary for a polished, professional look. The goal is to make the contact details immediately accessible and easily digestible.