The Contact Section of Your Resume

Here we show you exactly what to include in each part of your resume, starting with the contact section.

1. The Contact Section

The first thing the hiring manager should see is your name. so have it in the center, and use a font size larger than the rest of the resume. Use 22pt bold font.

A note about your name: Will the hiring manager have trouble pronouncing your first name (your given name?) If your first name is hard to pronounce, give the hiring manager an easy name to call you. This is especially true today when the typical work environment has people from many different countries and cultures. 

Contact information. Keep it simple:

• Email address – professional, nothing cute
• A Gmail address available from Google is considered more professional and more current than AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail and Comcast. An AOL email address makes you look old. A Netscape or Excite email makes you look deceased.
• Which looks more professional to you?
• CuteChick@Yahoo.com or Sarah.Collins@Gmail.com,
• Do not use the email address given to you by your current employer. People at your current company can access and read your emails. Do you want them to know you’re looking for a job?
• Phone Number – use one number where they can reach you any time
• Mobile phone numbers work best
• Make sure your voice mail answering greeting is professional
• No fax numbers
• City, State or Province

Do not show your full, exact street address, house number, or apartment number at this time. People do not need to know precisely where you live until they are ready to offer you a job. Or they have you fill out an application.

City and state are important because employers want to know whether you live close by or if you have to relocate.