I have no references - what do I do?

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I'm applying for my first job which is an entry level job. I am around 30 y/o. I'm supposed to list three non-related references on the application form. I don't have any non-related references. I rarely see or talk to anyone outside of my family. The few non-related people I talk to are friends of family members and I don't want to list them.

I can't lie and list my relatives as references because the people who will be reviewing my application know me. They would recognize certain last names as being related to me.

What should I do? I've thought of a few possibilities for what I could put on the form:

1) I could just simply put "n/a" although I've been advised against this by someone else
2) I could put "None available - Please contact me for an explanation"
3) I could put - No non-related references available" and then list a relative


Does anyone have any advice?

Do you have any former teachers or leaders at any clubs you may belong to that are willing to supply a reference? If you're still not in touch with former teachers, you might want to look them up on facebook. I was able to contact my former high school teacher from 20 years ago via facebook when I was seeking the diagnosis last year.

I would advise either listing 3 family references with the explanation that you have no non family ones available. Or find 3 references. When I applied at my current job I looked up old contacts, or even family friends, teachers. I could not track many down, but you only need 3. Then ask them if you can list them as a reference for a job application, most people seem happy to do so even if you are not well acquainted.

I agree about asking teachers... for me, two teachers at the vocational institution I learned at served as references.

Ask your parents/siblings to ask three of their close friends to give you a reference, or just try to find someone. You can't get a job with no references, and you can't put family members.

But what is a teacher from 13 years ago going to say about me, if asked? That I was the shy, quiet, weird kid in class. I'm certain there's only one teacher who would remember me and they would remember me as being awkward.

So if I did contact this teacher via Facebook, what would I say?

Oddly, the friends of my family members are like 21, and a bit immature.

I could list my cousin's wife and put her maiden name down. How would that work? Of course, I'm not sure she could remember to lie, if contacted.

What I did was solicited references on facebook. This might not work if you don't use facebook.

I just sent an e-mail through facebook along the lines of something like this..."Mrs W-. I don't know how well you remember me but I'm a former student of yours (insert name of school) back in the early 1990s." and then explained the particulars of my situation. She got back to me the very next day and was very happy to offer her insights.

Anyway if all else, fails I'd go the route of asking online friends (even if I've never chatted with them online but have exchanged a few e-mails) to become references (I'm sure you'd get some volunteers here on WP).

Hope that helps,
Allie Kat

Just use your family friends. I think it's the best you can do at this point.

+1

I hate it when they ask for non-family references. I do have 3, but I rarely keep in touch with 2 of them. The 3rd I actually visit about 1 or 2 times a year.

I've thought about this and I just can't ask a former teacher or a relative's friends. And I can't ask a relative to lie. If I was applying somewhere else, I would have no problems asking a relative to lie for me, and they would gladly do it. But at the place where I'm applying, I know the boss/owner. I can't lie to someone I respect and who might find out that I lied. So I'm just going to put the following on the application form: "No non-related references available. Please contact me for an explanation." Then I'm going to list one relative as a reference.

Since the boss knows me, I think she'll cut me some slack. It's not like I'm some stranger. I think she knows that I'm a good, responsible person.

Have you done any volunteer work? I've gotten references from people I volunteered with who had paid positions in the organization.

If you haven't done any volunteer work, I would suggest doing some. It looks good on a resume to show you're not just sitting around while unemployed.

i strictly believe in "show me dont tell me" (of course with certain exceptions) but thats just me because if people say good things and i see bad things i would be very disapointed >..<