How Do I Write My Availability on a Resume? A Complete Guide to Start Date Information

As you prepare your resume, you might wonder whether to include information about when you can start a new position. Should you mention that you’re immediately available? That you have a two-week notice period? That you can’t start until after a certain date?

The answer isn’t straightforward—it depends on your specific circumstances, the type of positions you’re targeting, and how availability information might help or hurt your candidacy. This guide explores when to include availability on your resume, how to format it appropriately, and strategic considerations for different situations.

The General Rule: Availability Is Usually Optional

For most professional positions, availability information is not required or expected on resumes. Most employers assume:

• Currently employed candidates need to give notice (typically two weeks)
• Unemployed candidates can start relatively quickly
• Specifics will be discussed during interviews

Including availability isn’t wrong—but it’s also not necessary in most cases. The default approach is to leave it off your resume and address timing during the interview process when employers ask directly.

When Including Availability Helps Your Candidacy

That said, certain situations benefit from proactively stating availability:

Immediate Availability

If you’re currently unemployed and can start immediately, mentioning this can be advantageous—particularly for positions that need to be filled urgently.

Why This Helps:

• Signals you’re ready to hit the ground running
• Differentiates you from candidates with notice periods
• Matches well with urgent hiring needs
• Removes uncertainty about timing

How to Include:

In your resume header or contact section: “Available to start immediately” or “Available for immediate employment”

In your professional summary: “…seeking [role type] opportunity with immediate availability.”

Relocation Situations

If you’re relocating to a new area, availability information clarifies your timeline and commitment.

Example: “Relocating to Chicago area in March 2025; available to start April 1” or “Currently in Seattle; available for Austin-based position starting [date]”

This addresses the location concern while providing concrete timing.

Specific Start Date Constraints

If you have legitimate constraints on when you can start—completing a degree, finishing a project commitment, or other non-negotiable timing—mentioning this upfront prevents wasted time.

Example: “Available after May 15, 2025 (completing MBA program)” or “Available to begin following two-week notice period”

Seasonal or Part-Time Positions

For positions with specific scheduling needs—seasonal work, part-time opportunities, or positions requiring particular hours—availability information is often expected.

Example: “Available for evening and weekend shifts” or “Seeking summer internship (May-August 2025)“

Career Transitions with Timing Requirements

If you’re transitioning from military service, completing a fellowship, or leaving a position with an unusual notice requirement, clarifying timing helps manage expectations.

Example: “Transitioning from military service; available September 2025” or “Contract concludes December 2024; available for full-time role January 2025”

When to Leave Availability Off Your Resume

In certain situations, including availability may hurt rather than help:

Very Long Notice Periods

If you have an unusually long notice period (more than a month), advertising this upfront may eliminate you from consideration for positions needing faster starts. It’s better to discuss timing during interviews when you can contextualize and potentially negotiate.

Distant Future Availability

If you can’t start for several months without compelling reason, this may discourage employers from investing in interviewing you. Unless the reason is understandable and acceptable (completing education, planned relocation), consider whether advertising distant availability serves your interests.

Currently Employed Without Urgency

If you’re passively job searching while employed, there’s no need to mention availability. Employers assume employed candidates need notice, and leaving this off doesn’t raise concerns.

Uncertain Timeline

If you’re genuinely uncertain about when you could start—waiting on another offer, dealing with personal circumstances, or otherwise unclear—don’t include vague or tentative availability. Address it when you have clarity.

How to Format Availability on Your Resume

If you decide to include availability, several formatting options work well:

In the Contact/Header Section

Place availability on its own line near your contact information:

John Smith (555) 123-4567 | [email protected] | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith Chicago, IL | Available Immediately

In the Professional Summary

Integrate availability into your opening summary:

“Marketing manager with 8+ years of experience in B2B technology. Currently seeking new opportunity with immediate availability…”

As a Separate Line/Section

For resumes with more complex availability:

AVAILABILITY Available to start January 15, 2025, following completion of current contract Open to remote work or relocation to Pacific Northwest

In the Additional Information Section

If you have an “Additional Information” section:

Additional Information

• Available to start with two weeks’ notice
• Willing to relocate for the right opportunity
• Valid U.S. work authorization

Phrasing Your Availability

Choose phrasing that sounds professional and confident:

For Immediate Availability:

• “Available immediately”
• “Ready to start immediately”
• “Available to begin immediately”

For Standard Notice Period:

• “Available to start following two-week notice period”
• “Available with standard notice period”
• “Can begin within two weeks of offer acceptance”

For Specific Date Constraints:

• “Available to start [Month Day, Year]”
• “Available beginning [Month Year]”
• “Start date: [specific date]“

For Flexible Availability:

• “Available to start at employer’s convenience”
• “Flexible start date”
• “Start date negotiable”

Availability for Different Employment Types

Different position types have different availability conventions:

Full-Time Professional Positions

Availability is generally optional. Most employers expect standard notice periods and don’t require availability on resumes.

Contract and Temporary Positions

Availability is more commonly expected. Recruiters and staffing agencies often need to match candidates to specific engagement timelines.

Part-Time and Hourly Positions

Schedule availability is often relevant—which days/hours you can work. This may be requested on applications rather than resumes, but including it on your resume for clearly hourly positions is acceptable.

Internships

For internship applications, availability often matters—especially for programs with fixed dates. Including your available dates helps match you with appropriate opportunities.

Seasonal Work

Seasonal positions need workers during specific periods. Clearly stating your availability during the relevant season is typically expected.

Addressing Availability in Cover Letters

Your cover letter offers another opportunity to address availability, often with more nuance than a resume allows:

“I am excited about the opportunity to join [Company] and am available to begin immediately upon offer acceptance.”

“My current project concludes at month-end, allowing me to start a new role by [date] with appropriate transition time.”

“Having recently relocated to [City], I am immediately available and eager to contribute to [Company].”

Cover letters allow you to explain context that resumes can’t convey—making them often the better venue for availability discussions.

What to Do When Asked About Availability

Even if you don’t include availability on your resume, expect to discuss it during interviews. Prepare your response:

If Immediately Available:

“I’m able to start immediately. My schedule is completely open.”

If Currently Employed:

“I would need to give my current employer two weeks’ notice, so I could start [date two weeks from potential offer].”

If Notice Period Is Longer:

“My current position requires four weeks’ notice. I could potentially negotiate a shorter transition, but I want to ensure a professional handoff. Would [date] work for your timeline?”

If You Have Date Constraints:

“I’m completing [program/commitment] through [date] and would be available to start [date]. Is that timeline compatible with your hiring needs?”

Being honest and clear about timing during interviews is more important than what your resume says.

Special Considerations

Don’t Box Yourself In

Putting specific availability on your resume creates a commitment. If your circumstances change, you’ll need to address the discrepancy. When in doubt, leave availability for conversation.

Consider the Employer’s Perspective

An employer reading “Available May 2026” when they’re hiring now will likely move on. Make sure your stated availability doesn’t eliminate you from appropriate opportunities.

Availability vs. Desperation

While immediate availability can be appealing, be careful that it doesn’t signal desperation. Framing matters—“Available immediately” is professional; “Please hire me, I can start today” is not.

Using Professional Tools

Resume-building platforms like 0portfolio.com can help you create clean, professional resume formats that appropriately incorporate availability information when relevant, ensuring your resume presents this information effectively without cluttering your presentation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Being Too Vague

“Available soon” tells employers nothing. Be specific if you include availability.

Being Too Restrictive

“Only available to start between March 15-20” limits opportunities unnecessarily.

Contradicting Yourself

Don’t say “available immediately” on your resume if you actually need a notice period.

Overcomplicating

Availability shouldn’t take significant resume space. Keep it brief.

Including When Irrelevant

For most professional positions, availability on the resume isn’t expected or needed.

Conclusion: Availability Is Situational

Whether to include availability on your resume depends entirely on your circumstances and target positions. For most professional roles, it’s optional and can be addressed during interviews. For positions with urgent timelines, specific scheduling needs, or situations where your availability is a selling point, including it makes sense.

The key principles:

Keep it brief. Availability should be a line or two, not a paragraph.

Be accurate. Don’t claim availability you can’t actually provide.

Consider the audience. Include availability when it helps your candidacy; omit it when it might hurt.

Be prepared to discuss. Whether or not it’s on your resume, know your availability clearly and be ready to discuss timing in interviews.

Your availability is one piece of information employers need to make hiring decisions. Present it thoughtfully—or leave it for conversation—based on what best serves your candidacy for each specific opportunity.