How to Include Contact Info on Resume

If you’re writing a resume, you’re too focused on perfecting the skills, education, and experience sections to impress the hiring manager.

However, all your efforts will be in vain if your resume contact information is not formatted correctly and does not include the necessary details.

It’s important that you put all of your contact information at the top of your resume so employers can easily get in touch with you.

Employers will have no way to reach you if your contact information is incorrect or incomplete. For employers and hiring managers to arrange an interview with you, it’s essential that they can easily contact you.

Here are tips on what to include and where to put your contact information, along with a sample contact section for a resume.

How should I write my name, address, and social media on my resume?

It is important to include all of your relevant contact information at the top of your resume so that employers and recruiters can easily find them.

It may seem obvious and a given, but some people still make this mistake on their resumes — forgetting to include all the contact details or failing to format them in a way that will be easily detected by company ATS.

Here’s how to properly include contact information on your resume and format for easy readability.

What to include in your resume contact information section

 

1. Full Name

Your resume should include your first name and last name. However, if your name is very common, consider including your middle name or initials to help differentiate yourself from others with similar names.

You can list your preferred name instead of your legal name on your resume if you normally use that name at work. Some professionals still use their maiden names at work even when they’ve married and legally changed their last names. Some job seekers go by a nickname while applying for jobs to avoid gender or racial discrimination.

How to Write Your Name on Your Resume Examples:

•  Samantha Hunter William Turner, Jr.
• Samantha J. Hunter William G. Turner, Jr.
• Samantha (Sam) Hunter William Turner
• Sam Hunter Will Turner,
• S. Hunter W. Turner, Jr.

 

 

2. Suffixes – Credentials from Degrees and Certifications

Include the initials of degrees or certifications you have earned within your field if they are required or considered desirable. When you put this credential immediately after your name, you increase the chances recruiters will notice this crucial selling point when reviewing your resume. However, bear in mind that you need to support this suffix with details further down your resume document.

Examples:

• Martin Thomas, EE, ME
• Edward Carlos, RN
• Karen Clarke, MBA

Make sure you write your name consistently wherever you decide to put it on your resume. Your name should appear the same way on all of your business cards, cover letters, email signatures, online profile in social media, personal website, blog, and portfolio.

 

3. Title

A title describes who you are and what you do or could do to a potential employer. Are you an engineer, a registered nurse, or an MBA?

4. Mailing Address

There’s been a debate on whether or not to include on your resume your complete address, city state zip code. This information on a resume is somewhat problematic, thus the safest thing to do is make it optional. Here’s our take on the matter.

When to include a full address:

• If you plan to work within a commutable distance from your home, list your city, state, and zip code on your resume.
• If you’re relocating to a new country or state, it’s important that you should mention it. If you live near the company, it can help you land the job, as it allows the company to save on relocation costs.
• If you’re a student, you might include both your home address and your school address. You should include your full mailing address with apartment number, street address, city, and state.

When to omit your mailing address:

• If you’re doing a long-distance job search or considering relocating, you may decide not to write an address at all.

 

Why applicants choose not to include mailing address:

Today, many applicants avoid including all of this contact information for fear of identity theft or to ensure their privacy and safety. Choosing just the state and city would be enough if you’re worried about those things.

Not sure how to write an address on your resume?

Take this example, Baltimore, MD 21213. Simply include your city, state, and zip code in your contact section.

Most people no longer think it’s necessary to provide your full mailing address. Many job seekers prefer to use those resume spaces to include other qualifications instead.

Including your addresses can also be a source of discrimination in some cases.

5. Email Address

It is essential to put the correct phone number and email address on a CV or resume, as they are your primary contact methods.

Do not use your work email address. Instead, use a personal email address. Your job search emails should not be mixed with your current job emails. In doing so, you are being unprofessional and disloyal. Plus, if you’re changing jobs, you will lose access to it.

If you don’t have an email account, create one to use for job searching. It is also important to ensure that your personal email address is appropriate and professional. Be sure to check your email account frequently so you can respond to employer inquiries quickly.

In case you have any emails from AOL or Hotmail, it’s best to change and upgrade to another email provider. A modern email provider like Gmail makes it easy for you to create a professional-looking email address for all job-search activities.

You could also set up an email on your own domain if you have your own website with an externally hosted email service. Consider using your first and last name, and add your title or specialty to your email address.

Check out the examples below:

Do: karenclarke.cpa@gmail.com | karen@karenclarke.com | hello@karenclarke.com

Don’t: partygirl@hotmail.com | cutiegirl89@aol.com | doggn867@yahoo.com

 

6. Phone Number

Your phone number is your primary contact information and the quickest way for hiring managers and recruiters to get in touch with you.

It is advisable not to put your work telephone number on your resume. That is an easy way to make your private job search appear not so private. You should instead include your personal cell phone number.

By doing so, you control how and when the voicemail message is left, as well as who answers the phone. Be sure to include your name in your voicemail message so employers know they are talking to the right person.

There is more than one way to include your phone number on your resume. Some widely used resume format is written below:

Examples:

123-456-7890 | (123) 456-7890 | 123.456.7890

Alternatively, you can choose to include a label with your phone number such as “Tel:”, “Ph:”, “Phone:”, “C:”, or “M:” (for mobile) or add an icon next to it.

Examples:

Tel. 123-456-7890 📞123.456.7890

C: +44 7451 326 123 📱 +44 999 5555

 

Tip:

Your phone should have voicemail so that hiring managers can leave a message when you aren’t available. An important missed call is the last thing you would want. Make sure your voicemail message sounds professional, and also include your name so that the employer knows who you are.

7. Social Media

Social media is now commonly included on resumes. Most recruiters first check out your online profiles before they interview you. Including links to your social media accounts on your resume saves recruiters time and gives them the details that they care about. One piece of advice: only put social media links that will support your job-search efforts, rather than sabotage them, and keep them updated

LinkedIn Profile (Highly recommended). You can create a public Linkedin profile or share your existing account with the largest network of professionals. Only mention social media accounts that are directly related to your profession on your resume. For example, adding a link to your online profiles or blogs is a good idea if you work in a creative field.

Website, online portfolio or profile, and blog (optional). If you have online profiles on different platforms relevant to your chosen profession or field, you may choose to show it off, or you may choose to leave it off.

How to format your resume contact information

Contact information should appear at the very top of your resume so recruiters won’t miss it. When using Word, do not place these details in the header section, as certain applicant tracking systems cannot read the information stored here.

Ensure the contact information stands out by using a bigger font size. Depending on the space you have available, you might want to put your contact details in just one or two lines beneath your name.

Here are a few examples of how to format your contact information on your resume.

Contact Information Example #1:

• Template Necessary? Actual Sample
• Name Yes Karen Clarke
• Professional Title Optional CPA
• Mailing Address Optional Address

5th Ave, New York, NY 10118

• Phone Number Yes Phone

123-456-7890

• Email Address Yes Email

karenclarke.cpa@gmail.com

• LnkedIn / Social Media Optional linkedin.com/in/karen-clarke
• Personal Website Optional karenclarke.com
• Online Portfolio Optional behance.net/karenclarke

Contact Information Example #2:

KAREN CLARKE

karenclarke@gmail.com•123-456-7890•New York, NY 10118•linkedin.com/in/karenclarke

Contact Information Example #3:

Dan Markes, MBA

888-999-1111 • danmarkes@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/danmarkes • danmarkes.com