One of the benefits of being 20+ years into a career is that you get to do things like shake your cane and say, “You young whippersnappers! I remember when! You have no idea!”
When I applied to my first jobs in the early 1990s, resumes were printed and mailed. The fax machine was quite a technological advancement when I was leaving college.
However, I’m not here to talk about paper vs. digital, but something far more ancient: the concept of “place”.
Believe it or not, “place” is (still) important when applying to jobs.
In the days of snail mail and faxing, it was expected that your resume would include your full contact information: mailing address, phone number, and (later) email address.
Over the past 10 years, however, I’ve noticed less and less geographic information on resumes. This was escalated by the explosion of remote roles during the pandemic.
It’s true that mailing addresses are no longer needed during a hiring process. I affirm and support individuals who have strong reasons not to share their address due to privacy concerns (for example, domestic violence survivors).
However, many of the resumes I’ve been reviewing lately give no indication of location whatsoever. I feel this has gone too far.
A hiring organization does want to know an applicant’s location. The 21st century may feel like virtual reality, but humans do still live in bodies, and work in locations.
Let’s examine why location matters in different scenarios, and what to include in application materials.
Remote Job
You’re applying for a job that says, “Remote – US”. It shouldn’t matter where you’re located, right?
To start, you do need to make it clear that you’re based in the United States. There are legal and tax reasons why the employee can’t be based in another country.
The next consideration is efficiency. The job posting may list or imply a “preferred” location. Even if the position is 100% work-from-home, the hiring team may have a preference for certain geographies based on the location of other team members. Time zones matter.
It’s worth noting that not all “remote” jobs are “100% WFH” jobs. Some positions still require a certain amount of interaction with the external world. Ease of travel or proximity to meet with key stakeholders may be a consideration in hiring.
For remote jobs, what should be on your resume and cover letter? I suggest city and state, but if you live in a big metropolitan area, it’s okay to be slightly more general, such as “Washington DC Metro”.
Hybrid Job
For a job that is partially in-office and partially work-from-home, I will tell you that the hiring team is very concerned about a sustainable commute, even if it’s only 1-2 days per week. Those in-office days are precious. A long or complicated commute that is prone to delays may lead to missed meetings and lost face-to-face time with colleagues.
For hybrid jobs, what should be on your resume and cover letter? Materials for a hybrid job should clearly indicate city and state. In metro areas where getting to the office may not be straightforward (for example, commuting into the city of San Francisco from any location not on a BART line), it’s a good idea to indicate in your cover letter that you’re clear on what the commute would be like. Even better, highlight if you’ve done a similar commute before.
100% On-Site
Some jobs do not permit working from home, whether because of the job duties or because of the company’s culture. In this situation, the hiring team really cares about your commute. They want to know you can get to the office on time every day, and not experience burn out. With that in mind, a higher priority will be placed on applications from candidates who are clearly nearby. While it’s possible to commute into Manhattan from either Hoboken or New Rochelle, hiring managers are much more comfortable selecting a candidate with the shorter commute.
For fully on-site jobs, what should be on your resume and cover letter? City and state are sufficient for the resume. However, in the cover letter, describe your understanding of the commute.
Place-Based Job
Some organizations exist to serve the surrounding community. In these situations, the hiring team cares a lot about your alignment with that community. Nuances exist from one county or neighborhood to another, and these become important considerations in the hiring process. For example, if you work in social services, the resources in one county may be fairly different from an adjacent county. Regardless of the in-office requirements, it makes a difference where the applicant lives, and where they’ve been working.
For place-based jobs, what should be on your resume and cover letter? City and state are sufficient for the resume. In the cover letter, outline your previous experience working within the community served, or at minimum your understanding of how it may be different from your previous experience.
Relocation
When applying to a job outside of your commutable area, unless the posting says “100% remote”, it is important to explain your intentions about the location. I have been astonished at the number of applications I receive that 1) are not located in my client’s geography, 2) do not mention relocation, and 3) also don’t specify an assumption of remote work.
For relocation jobs, what should be on your resume and cover letter? It’s very important to address this in the cover letter. “I currently reside in Florida, but I am planning to relocate to Chicago in September for family reasons.” If you have previous ties to that location, definitely highlight that. It makes the application stronger.
***
To Conclude
If you’ve received advice from a resume coach or blog post to completely omit location from your resume and LinkedIn profile, they’re doing you a disservice. You will not get good results listing “United States”, or no geography at all. In most cases, listing city and state will go a long way.