
How to Make a Resume: Step-by-Step Writing Guide for 2023
How to write a resume that will get you the job you're looking for? This step-by-step guide will show you the best resume examples, and you can write a resume in a few easy steps.
You have a list of ex-coworkers ready to gush about your skills to any hiring manager. Should you put “references available upon request” on a resume or leave it off?
You’re putting the finishing touches on your resume and can’t wait to apply to the dream job you just found on LinkedIn.
Just one hurdle—
You don’t know if you should include “references available upon request” on your resume. On one hand, you wish that the hiring manager would ask for a reference. Your friendly ex-manager is ready to sing your praises. But you’ve also heard the phrase is outdated and pointless, and a resume faux pas can be disastrous. What should you do? You need to make a decision—fast.
If that sounds familiar, here’s a guide for you. Read on to clear up:
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Louis Delacruz
louis.edward.delacruz@gmail.com
347-439-6717
Brooklyn, NY
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/louis-delacruz
Trend-setting marketing professional with excellent business acumen and effective communication skills. Seeking the marketing specialist position at Sterling Cooper to craft conversion-winning copy for brands across industries. Utilized strong data analytics skills to guide a campaign to 5M+ impressions on a budget of less than $25,000.
Marketing and Communications Intern
Swoop Labs, Manhattan, NY
August 2019–May 2020
Key Achievement:
Social Media Intern
AppCloud, Long Island, NY
June 2018–July 2019
Key Achievement:
BS in Marketing Management and Sales
City University of New York, Manhattan, NY
Graduation: May 2020
“References Available Upon Request” is a phrase that was common at the bottom of resumes, and used in lieu of including a list of references attached to the resume. Nowadays, the phrase is an unnecessary piece of business jargon that wastes valuable resume real estate.
Read more: The Do's and Don'ts of Resume Writing
No, you shouldn’t put “references available upon request” on your resume. Career experts universally agree that the phrase is superfluous. One expert described it as a “one-line space waster”. Ouch.
Why isn’t the phrase helpful? Because hiring managers know that if they need references, they can ask and expect to receive them. Write "reference available upon request" on your resume if you want a recruiter to think “Thanks, Captain Obvious!”.
Another problem is that your resume should be one page long in most cases. That means if you want everything to fit on a one-page template, you need to trim any extraneous fat. That means “reference available upon request” doesn’t come close to earning a place at the table.
Read more: What to Put on a Resume?
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
It is a good idea to create a list of resume references from previous employers of who could vouch for your talents and experience. But you shouldn’t include the list on your resume (unless it’s specifically requested), because you want to know when your references will be contacted. Your references wouldn’t appreciate their contact information being on every resume you send to hundreds of employers. I know I wouldn’t.
By leaving your references off your resume, the hiring manager will have to let you know they are interested in contacting your references. That way you have time to give your references a heads up, letting them know to expect a call as well as any additional information you’d like for them to mention about your experience.
Read more: Best Resume Tips and Tricks
If you are convinced against all odds that you want to put “references available upon request” on your resume, the best place to put this phrase is at the very bottom of your resume. You don’t want the phrase to distract from your resume, and even if the hiring manager’s eyes miss it, no harm done.
It’s a good resume idea to use a footer to format “references available upon request”. This way it will take up even less real estate, leaving more for your skills section or work experience section—the parts of a resume that the hiring manager is actually looking for.
Read more: How to Format a Resume?
The answer is straightforward, you can confidently leave “references available upon request” off your resume even if you’re writing a traditional resume. There is no need to include this phrase, and you’re betting off using the extra line to fit in more work experience or skills on your resume.
There you go! Now you can get on to writing the rest of your cover letter!
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Thanks for reading! Do you have any other questions about “references available upon request”? Have you ever been asked to provide references? Share your experiences in the comment section below. We’d love to hear from you!
How to write a resume that will get you the job you're looking for? This step-by-step guide will show you the best resume examples, and you can write a resume in a few easy steps.
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Not sure what your resume should look like to impress recruiters and land you that dream interview? You’ve come to the right place to find out. See for yourself.