The short answer: no, leave it off
The phrase references available upon request is considered outdated by most current resume guidance and has been for some time now across nearly every industry. It states something recruiters already assume as a given fact of the process, since virtually every employer already knows you can provide references if and when they actually ask for them, and the line takes up space on the page that could instead hold a piece of real, useful content about your actual qualifications for the role.
Why this line stopped adding value
It was genuinely useful decades ago when providing references upfront was less standardized across the hiring process than it is today, and candidates needed to signal that this step was something they were prepared for. In the current job market it functions purely as empty filler text that adds nothing to a reader's understanding of you as a candidate. Recruiters who actually want references will ask for them directly, usually later in the hiring process and often through a separate, dedicated reference list form rather than anything printed on the resume itself at the application stage.
What to put there instead
Use that space for one more genuine accomplishment bullet point, an additional relevant skill worth mentioning that you had not fit in elsewhere, or simply leave it out entirely and let the resume end cleanly after your last real section without any closing filler line at all. There is no requirement to add any kind of closing statement to a resume. If a specific application explicitly asks you to include references or a note about their availability, follow that particular instruction exactly, but otherwise skip the phrase by default in every other case you encounter.
How to prepare references the right way
Keep a separate reference sheet ready in advance, formatted cleanly with each reference's name, title, company, relationship to you, and current contact information, ready to send the moment an employer actually asks for it later in the process, often after a strong final-round interview. Confirm with each individual reference ahead of time that they are willing and properly prepared to speak on your behalf before you ever list their name anywhere on a document an employer might see.
Choosing the right people as references in the first place
Beyond simply preparing the list, think carefully about who you choose. A former direct manager who can speak specifically to your day-to-day work usually carries more weight than a senior executive who barely worked with you personally, even if the executive's title looks more impressive on paper. Aim for two or three references who can each speak to a different aspect of your work, such as one manager, one peer or collaborator, and one client or cross-functional partner if relevant, so the picture an employer gets is well rounded rather than repetitive across every single call they make.
What a reference check actually covers, so you can prepare your references well
Most reference calls are shorter and more practical than candidates expect, usually covering your dates of employment, your general performance, whether you would be rehired, and sometimes a question or two about a specific strength or area for growth. Give each reference a short heads-up before you list them for a particular application, including the job title and company so they can speak with the right context in mind, and briefly remind them of one or two accomplishments you would appreciate them mentioning if it comes up naturally. A reference who is prepared and expecting the call almost always gives a stronger, more specific account of your work than one caught off guard by an unexpected phone call from a company they were not told to expect.
Why this phrase existed in the first place
The phrase traces back to a time when paper resumes were mailed out individually and space on the page was treated as precious in a different way than it is today, and when references were sometimes listed directly on the resume itself by default. Adding the line signaled that a candidate had references ready without listing names publicly on a document that might circulate more widely than intended. As hiring moved online and it became standard for employers to request references separately through a formal step in the process, the original purpose of the line quietly disappeared, leaving behind a habit that many resumes still carried out of pure convention rather than any continued practical need.
Other outdated conventions that belong in the same category
The references line is not the only holdover from an earlier era of resume writing still lingering on many resumes today. Phrases like objective at the very top with no actual value offered, a full mailing address when only a city and state are now expected, or a closing line thanking the reader for their consideration all fall into the same category of habits that once made sense and now mostly just take up space. Reviewing your resume specifically for these kinds of legacy conventions, not just for typos or formatting, is a useful exercise the next time you sit down to update it.
A useful test for any line on your resume is asking whether a recruiter reading hundreds of resumes a week would actually learn something new and relevant from it. If the honest answer is no, that line is a strong candidate for removal regardless of how long it has traditionally appeared on resumes in general.
How reference expectations can still vary by country
While the guidance in this article reflects common practice in markets like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, some other regions still expect references listed directly on a resume or CV, similar to the way photo expectations vary internationally. If you are applying outside your home market, it is worth briefly checking local convention the same way you would for photos or personal details, rather than assuming the no-references-line default described here applies everywhere in the world without exception.