How to Include Your Contact Information on Your Resume

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Updated on July 21, 2021

Resume contact section — Photo: AndreyPopov / iStock

When you're writing a resume, it's important to include all of your contact information at the top of the page. This allows employers to see how they can contact you.

Without detailed contact information, or with incorrect contact information, employers will not be able to get in touch with you. You want to make it as easy as possible for an employer or hiring manager to contact you about the job you're applying for.

Learn more about what to include in your contact section and where to put the information. Plus, see a sample contact section for a resume.

What to Include in Your Contact Information Section

All relevant information: Include your full name, street address, city, state, and zip code. Also, include your phone number and email address. If you have a LinkedIn profile or personal website, include these URLs in your contact section as well.
Name: If you go by a name other than your given name, you can use this in your resume. However, whatever name you choose, be consistent. It should be the name on all of your job application documents, including any cover letters, business cards, professional websites, etc. You might also use your full name, but if using a nickname, put it in parenthesis. For example, your name on your resume might read: James (Jim) Santinello.
Mailing address: Use a permanent mailing address on your resume. If you're a student, you might include both your permanent address and your school address. Be sure to include any important details to your address, such as an apartment number.

Note

If you're concerned about privacy, consider listing just the city and state. For example, your address might read: Tampa, Florida. If you are relocating to the area, you can include that information in your resume in the address line, e.g., “Relocating to Tampa, Florida.”

Phone number: It's important to have voicemail on your phone so that hiring managers can leave a message when you're not available. You don't want to miss any important calls. Be sure that your voicemail message sounds professional; also make sure it includes your name, so the employer knows they have called the right person.
Email address: Use a personal email address, not your work email address. You don’t want to mix your current job emails with your job search emails. If you don't have a personal email account, sign up for a free email account to use for job searching. However, also make sure that your personal address is professional. Use your first and last name in the address.

Note

Avoid unprofessional email addresses, such as PartyTime@email.com. Check the email account frequently, so that you can respond to employer inquiries promptly.

How to Format Your Contact Information Section

Place your contact information at the top of your resume; it should be the first thing the employer sees. Your name should be at the very top and should stand out. You might make your name larger in font and bolder than the rest of your resume.

You can center your contact information on the page, or make it left justified.

Leave a space or horizontal line between the end of your contact information and the next section of your resume.

Resume Contact Section Examples

Here are examples of resume contact sections with a full address, city and state, and relocation information.

With Full Address

First Name Last Name
Your Address
Your City, State Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email Address
LinkedIn or Personal Website URL (if you have one)

With City and State

First Name Last Name
Your City, State
Your Phone Number
Your Email Address
LinkedIn or Personal Website URL (if you have one)

With Relocation Information

First Name Last Name
Relocating to City, State
Your Phone Number
Your Email Address
LinkedIn or Personal Website URL (if you have one)

Tips for Formatting Your Resume Contact Information

To ensure that your resume is easy to read and makes a good impression on the hiring manager, follow these tips:

1. Format Consistently

Choose a basic bookprint font like Arial, Verdana, or Times New Roman and be consistent throughout your resume. Do not change fonts from section to section. Also, use bold and italics sparingly. For example, in your resume contact information, you might bold your name at the top of the section.

2. Edit and Proofread

Be sure to proofread your contact information, along with the rest of the information on your resume. A typo in your phone number or email address is more common than you might think. It could prevent you from getting contacted for a job interview.

3. Review Resume Examples

Before you start work on your resume, review free resume samples that fit a variety of employment situations. These resume examples and templates provide job seekers with examples of resume formats that will work for almost every job.

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Sources

The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Federal Trade Commission. “Data Privacy: Taking It Seriously.” Accessed July 5, 2021.