I’ve applied for jobs a few times and this has always been a problem. Now that I’ve been out of college for a while it’s even more of a problem. I don’t have anyone from college that would even remember me. I can’t use my current coworkers because I don’t want my current employer to know I’m leaving until I have a new job lined up. I don’t keep in touch with old coworkers. I don’t do anything outside of work as far as volunteering or anything. I know I’m not supposed to use friends or family. Who is even left after that? The only people I have the contact info for are friends, family, and my current boss.
What kind of employer asks for references these days? Such an inadequate and dated concept.
I work for a fairly big university and we still ask (or at least we did pre-COVID, when I handled some recruitment stuff). And it has to be, like… two references from two different positions (or classes or whatever)? Again, unless something changed.
References are hard as shit to get ahold of, too. I could pay off all my debts if I had a nickel for every time I had to get recruitment to nab us more refs.
Here In Australia many still do.
We have a very social culture, so many people still believe the best way to guage someone’s personality and work ethic is to talk to those who are familiar but not too close.
Of course the bigger the company the less likely they are to actually call those references - many just like seeing them on the page, sort of a “does he have non-famillial references? Yes, that’s a checkbox ticked ☑”
Nearly every single job I’ve ever applied to (in Canada), minimum wage or not asks for at least two references. McDonalds wanted two references and a cover letter FFS. Whether they ultimately check all of them is up for debate but they’re certainly asking.
OP, just use close friends and family you can trust. It’s not ideal but if you are qualified for the job and performing well at it (if you’re hired) it doesn’t matter in the long run. Finding references can be difficult for some people and that shouldn’t get in the way if you’re capable of doing what you’re hired for.