Addressing the Address

Let’s “Address” the “Address” situation on your resume. Listing your full address on your resume, is a tradition carried over from the generic, classic, corporate style resume template.  In this industry, the full address is not necessary. You can simply list your city and state; “New York, NY”, “Chicago, IL”, “Detroit, MI”, “Los Angeles, CA”, as a sufficient address. 

I’ve witnessed situations where listing your address on your resume can affect being chosen for the job.  I was helping a production coordinator crew up the office staff (production assistants, production secretary, travel coordinator…etc.) in Santa Clarita, California.   He had already conducted his interviews, and had resumes strategically spread out over a folding table. Decision time. I caught him scratching his head over the idea of hiring crew from the neighborhoods in Hollywood, Culver City, and Santa Monica. 

Two concerns weighed heavy on his mind – one, depending on the staggered call times of the production office staff, infamous Los Angeles traffic may delay staff from arriving on time. The second concern was about his staff getting burnt out on the drive and would eventually look for jobs closer to home.

To give you from perspective, Santa Clarita, California is about 26 miles north from downtown Hollywood, California, and 31 miles from Culver City or Santa Monica, California.  Depending on Los Angeles traffic, this drive from the Santa Monica or Culver City area could be a 4-hour commute round trip, from Hollywood could be a 2-hour to 3-hour commute roundtrip. 

All of the applicants were willing to commit to the commute for the duration of the show, but the production coordinator was trying to avoid possible problems down the line (late shows, hiring new crew half way through the show..etc.).

We suggest not listing your full address, but the area you live and work in on your resume.  If you happen to live in the same exact city/town where the production is taking place, make sure to use that fact in your cover letter and interview.  For example, if your resume states a city/state, “Los Angeles, CA”, but you live in Burbank, CA, and you apply for a job located in Burbank, make sure to let the interviewee know.