But for many recruiters where you live is a potential red flag. The problem: the commute your address suggests.
That’s according to Donna Svei, at Avid Careerist.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Why You Should Never Put Your Address On Your Resume
But for many recruiters where you live is a potential red flag. The problem: the commute your address suggests.
That’s according to Donna Svei, at Avid Careerist.
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9 comments:
I never thought the address could negatively effect your chances of receiving a job; however, I feel recruiters or those who are hiring risk passing over talent that could ultimately have a positive effect on their business. Maybe a smarter way of addressing the address issue is to work with candidates on their living situation; perhaps offer to start their new employees in a temporary home and gradually move their employees closer, permanently, to the company.
Recently, I have applied to multiple summer internships and the issue this article addresses has popped into my mind. In my opinion, if an employer is going to make their decision of your employment based on your commute, something else is probably very wrong. While this information may be important to some employers, I do not believe it is a deciding factor in whether or not someone gets the job. With that said, it is definitely important for someone to be honest with themselves when applying to a job, and this means considering how the job will change their lifestyle. My father has had about an hour and a half commute to work every week day since I was born, and I know it is definitely not his favorite part of his job. However, I do not think someone's potential commute is the first thing on an employer's mind while considering applicants.
This seems like such a silly thing, but it actually makes sense. The statistics that the article mentioned regarding consequences of commuting definitely suggest that hiring employees with a longer commute could potentially have a downside in the long run.
I think that this is one of these criteria that only matter if you're as qualified as another candidate for the job. If you're absolutely the best choice for the company, they'll hire you. But if they're on the line between you and someone else with similar experience and skills, then the length of your commute could be used to make a decision.
I've been taught to never put my address on resumes for safety reasons, so this made me aware of other consequences this could have. Although, I didn't think that commute was such a big deal. Apparently, according to the article, it's a literal deal breaker for many companies and a big factor in when people quit their jobs. Not only did this article address the problem, they offered a solution for people who are stressed out by their commutes. However, I have to agree with Jess. If an employer is going to make their decision on whether you have a long commute, something is wrong. Your qualifications and your demeanor are so much more important than how long it takes you to get there. As long as you're doing your job and your commute doesn't conflict, you're golden.
So, like Katie, I never put my address on my resume for safety reasons and also because, as a college student, where I actually live can change with some frequency and I'd hate to have my resume stuck in a pile with an address that may be outdated as quickly as once a year.
Similarly, I've heard that if you have a non-local (like different state non-local) address, it can affect whether or not you get further in the process, because employers worry about whether you'll actually move.
I never would have thought that including your address with your resume could lessen your chances of getting a job. With that being said though it makes perfect sense. If I were an employer I would want to hire someone with the shortest commute possible simply because I think they would be on time . I never would have realized that employers will actually do the math to figure out your commute to see if you can put with it day after day. This was definitely an interesting article, although I'm not sure how relevant it actually is for someone in the entertainment business planning to freelance.
I have never thought about why I didn't put my address on my resume, it just seemed unnecessary. I think it is so interesting how much it could end up effecting not only your chances of getting a job, but also how you perform once you are there. I think this information is just as great to know for job applicants as employer because while most people might not think a long commute will affect them, these statistics definitely prove otherwise.
Pino taught us not to put an address on a resume for safety reasons, but I hadn't even considered that it could potentially hurt your chances of getting a job. It's interesting that some jobs look at it, and I understand the logic behind it. Putting that aside though, I don't see why it's necessary to check the address. If people are applying for a job, they (hopefully) know where it's going to be and have taken that into account when deciding where to apply. Also, if they need to resort to checking that sort of minor information, maybe the resume isn't strong enough.
This is a very interesting article in that it is a resume tip that A) I haven't seen before and B) is completely non-intuitive. A mailing address seems like a completely common, albeit slightly archaic, way of contacting someone. To not include it on your resume seems like a decision as to how you would like to be contacted, not about whether or not you should be hired. I am currently in the process of updating my resume and I am going to make sure to leave out my address now.
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