Your contact details matter because employers need to be able to reach you when they want to.
It’s a small but necessary and crucial section of your CV. That’s because even if you’re the most qualified candidate for a role, it doesn’t mean nothing if the recruiter can’t get hold of you.
For this reason, it needs to be included, accurate and in a plain sight.
On this page you’ll get tips on how to write a contact section that makes reaching you easy and creates an immediate positive impression of you.
By: Iejaz Uddin – 18 May 2024
Contact information to include on your CV
Although it may appear obvious as to what to include, many people still leave out key bits. To make sure you don’t miss anything, here’s a master list of what to provide;
Full name
Your name goes in front of your contact details and is the first thing a recruiter will notice. Use it to create a powerful professional impression of yourself.
One way to do this is by using a conservative font that reflects on you as an individual. Also, give it more emphasis by making it bold and two points larger than the main font size used for the other text. For instance, if you have a 10-point font for your main CV, then use a 12-point font for your name.
Make sure the name you give is the same one that you use on all your social media profiles.
Middle names
There is no need to include a middle name, the first and last one will do fine. If you want to mention a middle name, then use an initial. For example, if you name is Andrew John Williams then use ‘Andrew J. Williams’.
Suffixes
Exclude suffixes such as Jr, Sr or II etc. Apart from anything else they can make you sound arrogant or pretentious.
Names that are difficult to pronounce
Certain names may be difficult to say for some people. To avoid the situation of a recruiter having difficulty with the pronunciation of your name, you may want spell out its pronunciation. There is no requirement to do this and doing this is something of a personal choice for individual job seekers.
Professional title
This is a short phrase of three or four words that describes your occupation, position, or job function. It goes directly under your name and is used to give the position you currently hold at a company. Ideally, it should mirror the position you are applying for.
Although optional, it is widely used to add more gravitas to your application by describing your area of expertise and stressing your relation to the job vacancy.
By including role relevant keywords in it, you can help link your to the job role you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a ‘Sales Manager‘ and you put down your title as ‘Sales Manager’.
Shun cliches
Avoid using unprofessional buzzwords such as ‘Guru’ or ‘Go to person’ as professional titles.
You must also include an appropriate sounding personal email address.
Avoid informal ones that will create a poor impression, for instance ‘stantheman@email.com’ and instead go conservative ones like ‘firstname.lastname@email.com’.
Do not use your current work email address. These can be monitored by your superiors and result in an embarrassing confrontation.
Keep away from funny old school emails and other unprofessional ones that will make you look immature.
Phone number
Another crucial mode of contact to include is your mobile phone. Make sure it is one that has a strong signal and good reception coverage. Once you start applying for jobs, be ready to receive calls throughout the day. Therefore, have in mind what you will say to anyone who contacts you. It goes without saying that you should not hand out a work phone number.
Voicemail
There is always the chance that an unanswered call could go through to your messaging service. As a consequence, make sure you have a professional message to greet them. In it leave your name, thereby reassuring the caller that they’ve reached the right person.
Related: How to write a CV headline
How to write your contact information
Making it easy and convenient for recruiters to contact you is important, as failing to do so, could result in a missed opportunity. The last thing you want is to get to the interview stage and then be uncontactable.
Below are some tips on how to do it properly.
This section should appear as a separate block from other sections. Doing this make it easier for hiring managers to spot how to contact you.
Format
Here is the generally accepted layout for the contact section:
- Your name
- Address
- Phone
- Social media
Phone number and emails
These are the two most commonly used contact methods recruiters use. So, always double check them to ensure they’re correct.
Contact information font size
Your main contact details go under your name and are of a smaller font size. For instance, is your name is 14 points, then they must be 12 points.
No need to write Mobile, Location or Email
As its fairly obvious what your contact details are, there is no need to add the words “Mobile”, “Location” or “Email”. This can help the section look less cluttered.
CV and Curriculum Vitae
There is no need to include the works “CV” or “Curriculum Vitae” in your contact section. Hiring managers will know what they’re looking at.
Proof read
Finally, check and proofread your contact information to ensure its error-free. After doing all the hard work of winning an interview, the last thing you want is to be unreachable because of a spelling mistake.
Do not use work phone numbers or emails
Doing so can make you look disloyal and unprofessional to both your current employers and potential future ones.
Keep it up to date
If you change your phone number, home address or email then don’t forget to update your CV accordingly. Many people make the mistake of not doing this and pay the price.
Postal Address
In 2024 there is no real need to give your full postal address. At the early stage on a recruitment process, just the town, city or county where you will do.
Reasons for not revealing your address
- Many people are not comfortable with providing their full address to complete strangers or online third-party websites.
- Concern about sensitive information falling into the wrong hands.
- Your location could lead to economic profiling, and potentially being offered a lower salary.
- If you live far from where the vacancy is, you could be rejected.
Social media profiles
Together with your basic contact information you could also include some other optional extras like a LinkedIn profile. Before you include any though, make sure that the content on these profiles is consistent with your CV.
Top of the list is your LinkedIn profile.
If you have a complementary up to date one, then it’s worth including it on your CV. It’s the favourite to include because virtually all recruiters are on LinkedIn, meaning they can easily check and reach you.
Where to put your contact details on a CV
They should be at the top of the CV, just above the personal summary.
Image of where to place them:
Personal information not to include in a CV
The only thing that really matters on a CV, is whether you’re qualified for the role.
Although there are certain positions where you have to the below information, for the vast majority you do not. Below is a list you do not need to include.
Martial status
A part of your personal life that has no place on a CV. Whether you’re married with children or not should not be taken into consideration when applying for a job.
Photo
Job seekers should not be judged by their physical appearance, but by your experience, skills and potential. Because of this and other legal considerations, it’s not a good idea to include a photo in your CV.
Date of birth
Unless specifically requested in the job description, there is no need to include this. They do not need to know how old you are, as it could lead to age discrimination.
Other things to exclude:
- Gender
- Race
- Sexual orientation
- Religious belief
- Nationality
Reasons to add your contact details to a CV
- Your CV could get detached from any other correspondence like an email or submission form.
- It’s common practice to list them.
- Putting a name to a CV build help build trust with the reader, an anonymous one will not.
- It’s a good opportunity to insert some relevant keywords into your professional title.