Who do you use for references?

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I can't use my current employer and I didn't really get along well with my last boss. I also have so few friends/colleagues that I have a good relationship with that I'm not sure who to ask to serve as a reference for me. Any ideas?

Most of mine are former professors.

Do you volunteer at places? If not, maybe you can volunteer somewhere and ask the supervisor there to be your reference? Volunteering helped me get my first full-time job - the supervisor there gave me a glowing reference which helped me greatly.

Otherwise, try not to burn too many bridges at workplaces from now on, otherwise you'll keep facing the same problem. I've been lucky to maintain a good relationship with someone I work for at the moment, who is happy to give me a reference, or otherwise I would've been completely screwed because I burnt lots of bridges at the last full-time job I was at.

Thanks for your suggestions. That boss was the only one in my whole career I didn't get along with. I don't tend to burn bridges. He had some very profound issues and would literally bully me and a couple of others. The company (nyu) was trying to get rid of him but was having a hard time doing it while avoiding all kinds of accusations - he played very dirty. In a way I felt sorry for him, but it's hard when someone is that messed up.

The problem is that then the last people I worked for before him were at another university and now that's reaching back to 2005 and we didn't really keep in touch. And I graduated college in 1997. And I have no friends. And and and and

The volunteer work is a good idea. I was thinking about going to a placement agency because I have some really great skills. Bleehhhh, I'm so tired from this search.

Thanks for your help, both of you.

Placement agency probably the best idea.
Another thing you can try is to cultivate relations with customers at your jobs.

I have trouble making connections with people too, but managed to impress many customers with my pure subject knowledge at one of my former employments (1995!) and managed to get side jobs with them - some only for an hour; I worked at a garden center and would often say "The best way for me to answer that [what is eating my tree, what can I plant in my shade?] is to see the garden. Do you live nearby?"

Of course, this only works in certain jobs. I still use two of those customers as references.

I know a buddy who's solved this problem. Though he could have great references.. maybe? Instead he puts his friends on there and lists whatever job he feels he should. I then get the terrible phone call of having to lie to someone. He really should ask first =). My solution has always been to ask my co-workers for their phone numbers. I also list the number of the place I worked at and they can try to navigate through the secretary.

Thank you for your responses.