What If I Don’t Have Professional References?

From searching for a job to acing the interview, the job search requires a lot of resources from you. After writing a great resume, creating a cover letter that captures attention, and answering the interviewer's questions, you still have one important detail to work on: your references. 

But what do you do if you don't have professional references? Our guide will help answer these questions and more.

We'll discuss:

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What Are References and Why Do Employers Want Them?

Your professional references can include colleagues, former employers, and any other acquaintances from your career or professional extracurriculars who can provide insight into your work experience and skills.

Once an employer is ready to extend an offer, they'll typically ask you to fill out a form providing your references. These are important because they:

• Validate your abilities: Contacting a reference gives employers the opportunity to verify that your professional skills are what you say they are. Employers want to hear what your colleagues have to say about your abilities.
• Verify your background: When you're writing a resume, it can be tempting to embellish your achievements to make a strong impression. Emphasizing your best traits is wise, but employers do take measures to verify the truthfulness of your resume. That's one of the primary reasons why employers request references: so they can confirm that your experience is accurate.
• Provide insights: Beyond proving your experience and verifying your strongest technical skills, references can also provide insight into your working style and career values. As much as you want the role to be a good fit, employers are hoping that the candidate they choose will last in the role for a long time. Learning about your working style and priorities can help them make informed decisions.

When and How to Present Your References

With how important references are, you might think that you need to display them on your resume, but this isn't usually the right approach. A list of references is part of the onboarding process and generally should not be included with your resume.

You may have seen the phrase "references available upon request" on some resumes, but this approach is not appropriate either. Employers expect your references to be "available upon request" as a minimum requirement, so including this phrase on your resume doesn't accomplish much.

But how should you present your references? When it comes to your resume: don't! You should create a list of references that you're prepared to offer the employer during the onboarding process.

When the time comes, the employer may give you a document to fill out, but if not, you should follow this basic template:

Who to Use as a Reference If You Have No Experience

If you're writing a resume for your first job, you probably don't have many former employers to use as a reference. That's OK! Every career story starts with a first role. But how do you share your references with an employer if you don't have any references? There are more options than you might think. Try reaching out to:

• Former teachers or coaches: Providing references is a regular part of an educator's job. Ask a professor, teacher, sports coach, or academic mentor to act as a reference if you lack experience. A teacher should have appropriate insight into your work ethic, subject matter expertise, and working style. Any teacher or coach who has insight into your skills will do, but it's especially helpful to focus on subjects that are relevant to the role you're applying to, as well as teachers who have seen you excel.
• Colleagues, coworkers, or mentors: Have you worked a part-time job in the past? Participated in an extracurricular program? Performed volunteer work? A colleague, coworker, or supervisor from any of these programs is an appropriate choice for a reference.
• Classmates or friends: A friend can act as a professional reference if you don't have any other options, but proceed with caution. Employers expect your references to be prepared to provide insights into your career background. You shouldn't list any references that aren't prepared or able to do so. 

How to Ask Someone to Act as a Reference

Now that you have a list of potential references to send to the employer, how do you ask them to participate? It's important that you:

• Reach out to each reference personally: It's poor etiquette to use someone as a reference without first asking their permission. Plus, a reference who isn't prepared may not answer the employer's call or provide a strong recommendation. Send your potential references an email or make a phone call to ask them politely to act as your reference.
• Provide each reference with details about the role: Tell your references what you need them to emphasize for the role. Coaching your references might feel like cheating, but it's actually standard practice and will help them feel prepared to answer the employer's questions and provide a truly helpful recommendation.
• Thank your references for their assistance: Whether they're your former teacher, your employer, or a volunteer coworker, your reference is doing you a favor by acting as one. Send them a thank-you note and acknowledge their effort on your behalf.

Here's a sample template for an email asking for a reference:

Final Thoughts

Creating a list of references can seem like an uphill battle when you don't have any experience, but you have more options than you may realize. 

Think of people from your academic, professional, or extracurricular background who can vouch for your work ethic and skills. Then, ask them if they're willing to act as your reference. You'd be surprised how many people will agree!

Key Takeaways

More Resources to Help With Your Job Search

• 20 Surprising High-Paying Jobs You Can Do From Home
• How to Use AI for Your Job Search in 2025
• How to List References for a Resume With No Experience
• 18 Resume Tips to Help You Write the Best Resume
• How to Quit a Job You Just Started

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Hailey Brophy

Career Writer

Hailey is a career advice writer dedicated to helping job seekers excel in their careers.

Read more articles by Hailey Brophy