What Contact Information Should You Include on Your Resume?

One of the most common resume questions is also one of the simplest: What contact information actually belongs on a resume?

The answer has changed over time. Many professionals still remember a period when resumes routinely included full mailing addresses, multiple phone numbers, and a variety of personal details. Today's hiring environment is different. Recruiters care about how to reach you, not where your house is located.

A resume is a professional marketing document. The contact section should provide enough information for employers to contact you easily while avoiding details that add little value or create unnecessary privacy concerns.

For most professionals, a modern resume should include four core elements.

The first is your city and state. This helps employers understand your geographic location and whether you are local to a position. Some job seekers choose to include their ZIP code as well, which is perfectly acceptable. What is no longer necessary is a full street address. Recruiters do not need to know your exact residence during the initial stages of a hiring process, and including it rarely influences a hiring decision.

The second is a single phone number. Choose the number you answer most consistently and make sure your voicemail greeting sounds professional. Including multiple phone numbers often creates confusion rather than convenience. Employers only need one reliable way to call you.

The third is a professional email address. Ideally, this should be a personal email account rather than a work email tied to your current employer. Using a company email address can create practical problems if you lose access to the account, and it can raise questions about professionalism. A simple email based on your name is usually the best option.

The fourth is your LinkedIn profile URL. LinkedIn has become an extension of the modern resume. Many recruiters will review your profile shortly after reading your resume, so providing a direct link makes that process easier. Before adding the URL, make sure your profile is complete, current, and aligned with the information presented in your resume.

Beyond those four essentials, there are a few additional items that may make sense depending on your profession.

Technology professionals often benefit from including a GitHub profile that showcases coding projects and technical capabilities. Designers may include a portfolio website. Writers may provide links to published work. Marketing professionals may reference campaign examples, case studies, or personal websites. The key principle is relevance. If a link helps demonstrate your ability to perform the target role, it may deserve a place in your contact section.

This is where judgment becomes important. Not every online profile belongs on a resume. A recruiter should never have to sort through unrelated content to find evidence of your qualifications. Every item included should strengthen your professional story.

There are also several pieces of information that generally do not belong on a modern resume. Full street addresses are largely unnecessary. Multiple phone numbers create clutter. Personal social media accounts rarely add value unless they directly support your professional brand. Details such as age, date of birth, marital status, or other personal identifiers should also be omitted.

The goal is not to provide every possible way to find you. The goal is to provide the right ways to reach you.

When recruiters review resumes, they are often moving quickly through dozens or even hundreds of applications. A clean and focused contact section signals professionalism, attention to detail, and an understanding of modern hiring expectations. It removes friction from the process and allows the reader to focus on what matters most: your qualifications, accomplishments, and potential value.

Sometimes the best resume advice is surprisingly simple. Your contact information should answer a straightforward question: How can an employer easily connect with me?

For most job seekers, the answer is equally straightforward. Include your city and state, one phone number, a professional personal email address, and your LinkedIn URL. Add relevant portfolio or work-sample links when they strengthen your candidacy. Leave everything else out.

The strongest resumes are rarely the ones that include more information. They are often the ones that include exactly what is needed and nothing that is not.