Include These Personal Details In A Resume (Learn How And Why)

Updated 21 April 2023

A good resume includes all the information that your prospective employer may require to know about your career trajectory, skills and education. While professional details are an important part of your resume, adding personal details can also be equally important. Knowing what personal details to include in your resume and where to add them can help you draft an impressive resume. In this article, we discuss why you are required to include personal details in a resume, learn where you may incorporate them and explore the information that you may exclude from this section.

Why Is It Important To Add Personal Details In A Resume?

Adding personal details in a resume helps the recruiter to contact you more easily. Often, recruiters shortlist a few resumes before they start contacting the candidates to schedule an interview. If the recruiter has several resumes of equally qualified candidates, including yours, having your contact details prominently on your resume makes it easier for the recruiter to get in touch with you.

Furthermore, most organisations and recruiters maintain databases of qualified candidates. Adding additional personal information to your resume can also make it easier for them to consider you for future openings.

Personal Details To Include In A Resume

You can include the following personal details to your resume:

Name

This is usually right at the top of your resume in the largest font compared to all other text on the page. Use a font that is easy to read like the Times New Roman, Verdana or Calibri. You can have it in a different colour from the rest of the text as long as it looks aesthetically appealing.

Include your first and last name unless you have a really long name with a couple of middle names, which may be hard to fit in there without compromising on the presentation. In that case, it would make better sense to write your first name followed by an initial or multiple initials.

Phone number

This is one of the most important contact details to mention in your resume. Recruiters need a number to call if they find your profile interesting and suitable for the role. Make sure that they are able to find it easily when needed.

You can put your number just below the address or your name, in a standard font size of 10 or 12 points. A mobile number where the hiring manager can reach you instantly is preferable to a landline number. If applying for a job in India, you can only put your 10-digit mobile number without the country code.

Residential address

This is optional to include and can go below your phone number and email address, if at all. It need not be your full address down to the apartment and block. Your city and country or state may suffice. This may be necessary if you are applying for jobs in other cities because companies might be looking for candidates from specific locations for certain jobs.

Email address

The first form of communication you receive from a recruiter may often be an email before they schedule a formal interview based on a mutually agreed date and time. Mention the email address that you check regularly to make sure you receive all important communication in time. If you are sending a digital copy of your resume, you can also hyperlink your email to make it clickable.

Make sure your email address sounds professional and that the reader can easily associate it with you. Avoid pseudonyms and monikers that do not sound like your real name. It is okay to have a few digits or characters added to your name if your full name was not available, but avoid anything similar to the examples below:

flower_goddess101@email.com
prettyprincess1990@email.com
transformer333@webaddress.com
jamesbond007@email.com

Personal website

If you have a personal website that showcases your portfolio, skills and personality, you can consider adding it to your resume. If you are applying for a design, photography or writing job, you may want to display your work through an interactive website that is a testament to your skills. Similarly, marketers or web developers can consider adding their personal websites to showcase their work.

Languages known

Since India is a multilingual nation with several languages and dialects in use, it is important to mention the languages that you can speak fluently, including any foreign language. Although English and Hindi are the most commonly-used languages in the workplace, particularly in North and Central parts of India, some Indian employers may want to know whether you can communicate in any local and foreign languages as well. Mentioning the languages you can speak is also crucial when you are applying for customer and client-facing roles at global organisations.

How To Display The Personal Details On A Resume?

Where you place your personal details in your resume is as crucial as how you present them. Normally, your resume would have your name in big and bold letters at the top of the page. Right below that, you can have your personal details in a smaller font. In certain resume formats, you can also have a separate block with the relevant information within it.

Ensure the details are clear and legible and avoid using cursive fonts that are hard to read. Remember, this is your call-to-action for the recruiter as soon as they have decided that you are a suitable candidate for the job. Highlight words like 'Phone' and 'Email' in bold so that your contact details are prominent and the recruiter can easily find them when needed.

What Details To Exclude From Your Resume?

Here are some personal details that you may avoid mentioning in your resume are:

Nationality
Date and place of birth
Family demographics, such as marital status and children
Current CTC
Religious choice or faith
Gender
Sexual orientation
Medical conditions
Driving license details

Please note that these are general guidelines and may not apply to all professions and applicants. There are a few reasons why you might refrain from adding the above information to your resume:

Reduce redundant information

Until a few years ago, it was professional to include some of the information mentioned above. In the current times, most of this information is quite redundant in a resume. If the company wants to know these details, they may ask you for them. With changing times, the norms of acceptable information to include in resumes have also changed.

Focus on relevant skills

Employers want to evaluate whether you are the right person for the job and that largely depends on a few factors such as your work experience, educational qualifications and skill set. If you highlight these adequately on your resume, you may stand a good chance of getting an interview despite your nationality, religion, age or gender. Furthermore, removing these details provides you with more space to discuss your skills and accomplishments.

Personal Details To Include In Resumes For Different Job Types

Before you decide on which personal details would go into your resume, you may want to get familiar with the nature of the job, the company and the industry. Get acquainted with the industry's best practices and view a few sample resumes of successful candidates from that industry or job role to get more clarity on what personal details could go on your resume.

For example, although it is often common to exclude information about your nationality or marital status in most job roles, some exceptions to the general guidelines exist, which include:

Nationality: If you are applying for a government or private job where citizens of a particular country can apply, then mentioning your nationality may be necessary. For example, in certain aviation jobs, especially flying jobs, airlines may require your passport information, such as validity and any restrictions.
Height and weight: Aviation jobs may also require your basic measurements such as height and weight because of stringent application of physical requirements. Airline crew members are also required to strictly adhere to the minimum height and desired weight range.
Date of birth: Certain jobs, particularly government jobs, may have age-related entry restrictions like a minimum or maximum acceptable age. In such cases, you may mention your date of birth to show that you meet the job's entry requirements.
Marital status: Some jobs, usually in the military or armed forces, may require candidates to stay unmarried for a specified period after joining.
Photograph: It is not mandatory to add your photograph to your resume unless the job demands it. You may provide a photograph if you are applying for roles where the physical appearance matters, like that of an actor, model or cabin crew staff.

Online Presence

To leverage maximum benefits from your job search efforts, it would help to make your resume more visible to recruiters or hiring managers online. Once you have your resume ready, make sure you create a profile on the most popular job websites and upload it there. When employers are searching for candidates on these platforms, they can find you based on the skills and experience mentioned in your resume. Also, activate the job notifications so that you receive email alerts with the available positions and can apply immediately.