Should you put references on your resume?

Listing references on a resume is outdated and counterproductive. It consumes space that should go to accomplishments, it exposes your contacts' personal information to applicant tracking systems and anyone who handles the file, and it removes your ability to brief a reference before they are contacted. The phrase references available upon request is worse, because it occupies a line to convey information every recruiter already assumes, and it signals that you are working from a template that predates the current decade.

The correct approach is a separate one-page reference sheet, formatted to match your resume, listing three to five people with name, title, organization, relationship to you, and current contact details. Provide it when a employer asks, which typically happens late in the process. Before you send it, contact each person, confirm they are willing, and tell them what the role is and which parts of your experience are most relevant, since a specific reference beats a warm but vague one. Choose people who supervised you or worked closely with you over impressive names who barely know your work. If you are currently employed and your search is confidential, say so and offer references who are not at your current company, which every hiring manager understands and none will hold against you.