Use the Smallest Location That Solves the Application Need
A resume header should help an employer identify and contact you. Location can also clarify whether you are local, remote, or planning a move. It does not need to disclose a full residential history.
City and state
Austin, TX gives useful context without publishing a street address.
Relocation line
Relocating to Denver, CO · September 2026 states the plan without pretending the move already happened.
Current location plus scope
Raleigh, NC · Open to U.S. remote roles keeps both facts visible.
No location line
Use name, phone, email, and relevant link when location adds no value and the application does not request it.
Keep essential contact details in the main document body and follow the broader layout rules in the ATS resume format guide.
Copyable Header Blueprints by Situation
Local application
Jordan Lee
Austin, TX · (512) 555-0148 · [email protected] · linkedin.com/in/jordanlee
Remote application
Jordan Lee
Raleigh, NC · Open to U.S. remote roles · (919) 555-0162 · [email protected]
Planned relocation
Jordan Lee
Relocating to Denver, CO in September 2026 · (512) 555-0148 · [email protected]
International application
Jordan Lee
Toronto, ON, Canada · [email protected] · +1 416 555 0184
Student using a school-year location
Jordan Lee
Madison, WI · [email protected] · (608) 555-0191
Use the location where you can realistically work or explain the availability in the application. The first-job resume guide covers the rest of the entry-level structure.
Resume, Application Form, and Verification Are Different Stages
| Stage | What it needs | Location approach |
|---|---|---|
| Public or shared resume | Enough context for the target role and a reliable way to contact you | City/state, relocation wording, or no location when appropriate |
| Employer application form | The fields marked as required by that employer | Enter accurate information in the requested field; do not assume the resume replaces it |
| Interview scheduling | Availability, time zone, commute, or relocation discussion when relevant | Explain practical plans directly instead of encoding every detail in the header |
| Offer, payroll, or background process | Identity and address information requested through the employer’s process | Provide accurate private details through the designated channel |
This separation helps you keep a broadly shared resume concise while still completing legitimate employer forms accurately.
Remote and Relocation Scenarios
| Scenario | Clear wording | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| You want fully remote roles | Current city/state · Open to U.S. remote roles | Writing “Remote” as though it were your physical location |
| You will move on a known date | Relocating to Phoenix, AZ · October 2026 | Using a friend’s address to appear local |
| You are open to moving but have no plan yet | Charlotte, NC · Open to relocation | Claiming a target city with no explanation |
| You apply across countries | City, region, country plus the phone format you monitor | Assuming U.S. resume conventions apply everywhere |
Pair remote-location wording with relevant work evidence from the remote-work resume guide. For country-specific conventions, use the international resume guide rather than copying one location format everywhere.
ATS Contact-Field Readability Check
- Place your name, phone, email, and chosen location line at the top of the main document body.
- Use selectable text instead of an image, icon-only label, or screenshot.
- Keep the reading order simple: name, location if used, phone, email, and professional link.
- Use an email address and phone number you actively monitor.
- Check that hyperlink display text remains understandable when printed or copied.
- Do not let a long address push the first relevant qualification farther down the page.
Run the full document through the ATS resume checklist after changing the header, because contact extraction is only one part of document readability.
Privacy Pass Before Upload
Remove details the application does not need
- Street number, apartment number, and full mailing address unless specifically requested.
- Personal identifiers such as date of birth, government ID numbers, or unrelated account handles.
- A location you do not live in and have no truthful relocation plan for.
- Contact information belonging to another person.
- Private portfolio or social-profile links that expose more than you intend to share.
A concise header can still fail if the phone number is mistyped, the email link is broken, or the document hides contact details in an image. Use the broader resume mistakes guide for a final accuracy pass.
Check Whether the Header Parses Cleanly
Upload the finished file to review its reading order, contact section, formatting, and the evidence that follows the header.
Analyze Resume Header uploadFrequently Asked Questions
Should you put your full address on a resume?
A full street address is usually unnecessary unless an employer or application specifically requests it. Many candidates use city and state, a relocation line, or no location on the resume while providing required details later in the application process.
Is city and state enough on a resume?
City and state often provide useful location context without publishing a street address. Add country when applying internationally or when the location could otherwise be ambiguous.
What should you put for location when applying out of state?
Use truthful wording such as “Chicago, IL · Open to relocation” or “Relocating to Denver, CO in September 2026.” Do not claim to live in the target city before you do.
Can an ATS read contact information in a header?
Some systems may extract document headers correctly, while others may not preserve those fields as expected. A lower-risk approach is to place essential contact details at the top of the main document body in selectable text and verify the extracted reading order.