A recruiter at a remote-first company writes: "Please send two professional references." You have never held a formal job. Your only "bosses" are a lecturer, a church project leader and a client who paid you through a bank transfer. Do you give up on the application? No. Employers asking for references want proof that someone credible has seen you work and will say so. You can supply that without a past employer if you choose the right people and make their job easy.
What a remote employer is really checking
A reference check usually tries to answer four questions. Did this person do what they said they did? Were they reliable and responsive? Can they work without being chased? Are they honest and easy to work with?
Remote hiring managers worry about these more than office managers do, because they can't watch you work. So a reference who can speak about reliability, written communication and meeting deadlines is worth more than one with an impressive title who barely knows you.
Policies differ. Some companies ask for references only at the final stage, some skip them and use a paid trial task, and some ask for a short written recommendation instead of a call. Read the job post and ask the recruiter what format they prefer.
Who can serve as a reference when you have no employer
Think about anyone who has seen you deliver something with a deadline and a standard. Here are realistic options, roughly from strongest to weakest for remote roles.
| Possible referee | What they can vouch for | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance or one-off client (even a small business owner) | Delivery, communication, turnaround | Any role where you did paid or trial work |
| Volunteer or NGO coordinator, church or community project lead | Reliability, initiative, teamwork | Admin, support, social media, operations |
| NYSC supervisor or place-of-primary-assignment (PPA) head | Attendance, conduct, tasks handled | Almost any role; a service year is real work experience |
| Lecturer or project supervisor | Skill level, final-year project quality, work ethic | Technical, research, writing roles |
| Course instructor or bootcamp mentor | Skill progress, assignments, consistency | Tech, design, marketing, data roles |
| Open-source maintainer or community moderator | Code or contribution quality, teamwork online | Developer and community roles |
| Family friend or relative | Little a recruiter will trust | Avoid |
If you're a fresh graduate, your NYSC supervisor is an underused choice. A PPA head who can say you showed up daily, handled records and met deadlines is giving direct workplace evidence.
Step 1: Create work a referee can actually judge
If nobody has seen you work, fix that first. Two or three weeks of structured effort is enough to produce a referee.
- Do a small real project for a real person. A local shop, a school, a church or an association needs something: a cleaned-up spreadsheet, a simple website, a month of social media posts, customer replies drafted. Agree the scope and deadline in writing, even on WhatsApp.
- Volunteer for a defined role. "Helping out" produces vague references. "Managing the event registration list for 300 people" produces a sentence a recruiter can believe.
- Finish a course with graded work. An instructor who has marked your assignments can comment on your skill. Choose one that gives feedback, not just a certificate.
- Do a paid trial task. If a company pays you for a trial, the person who reviewed it can become a referee. See How to Ask for a Paid Trial Task Without Working for Free.
Keep the output as portfolio material too. Remote Work Portfolio With No Experience: What to Show covers how to present it.
Step 2: Ask the referee properly
Most people say yes if asked well, and most never write the letter if asked badly. Ask by message first, not by surprise call, so they can decline without awkwardness.
A hypothetical request you can adapt:
Good afternoon, Mr Okafor. I'm applying for a remote customer support role with an international company. Since I managed your shop's WhatsApp orders from March to June, would you be comfortable acting as a reference? If yes, I'll send you a short summary of what I handled, so it takes you only a few minutes. Thank you either way.
Then send a one-page brief: the role you're applying for, three things you did for them with numbers or dates, and the qualities the job needs (reliability, written English, speed). Referees rarely remember details after six months. Your brief puts accurate facts in their mouth, which is honest and helpful, as long as everything in it is true.
Step 3: Offer two formats
Some employers want a phone or video call; others want a written note. Prepare both.
A written reference letter
Ask the referee to put it on letterhead if they have one, or send it from a work or institutional email rather than a free personal address when possible. It should include:
- Their full name, title, organisation, and contact details
- How they know you and for how long
- What you did, with specifics (tasks, tools, volumes, dates)
- One or two qualities with an example, such as meeting a deadline during a power cut or handling a difficult customer
- A clear statement that they would work with you again or recommend you
A reference call
Tell the referee when the call may come, which time zone the recruiter is in, and that it may be a video call. Give them the company name and recruiter's name. Ask them to pick a place with decent network. A referee who misses three calls looks worse for you than no referee.
Worked example: a graduate with no job history
This is hypothetical. Amaka finished a degree in accounting, did NYSC at a small logistics firm, and wants a remote bookkeeping assistant role. She has no previous employer, but she has three potential referees.
- NYSC PPA head: can confirm she reconciled weekly dispatch payments and never missed a month-end.
- A small trader she did bookkeeping for: for four months, in exchange for a small fee. He can speak to accuracy and responsiveness.
- Her final-year project supervisor: can speak to analytical ability.
She sends each a one-page brief and asks the first two to be her main references, keeping the supervisor as a backup. She puts "References available on request" on her CV, not their phone numbers, and shares details only when the employer reaches the reference stage. She also has the PPA head write a short letter in advance, so she can attach it immediately if requested.
Notice what she did not do: she didn't invent a company, claim a title she never held or ask a friend to pose as a manager. That brings us to the line you must not cross.
What not to do
- Never fabricate a reference. Fake employers, friends pretending to be managers, or letters you wrote and signed for someone else are fraud. Recruiters verify through LinkedIn, company websites and direct calls, and a discovered lie ends the application and can lead to dismissal later.
- Don't write your own letter and ask someone to sign without reading it. Drafting a first version for a busy referee is common, but they must edit it so it is true and in their voice.
- Don't inflate your role. Calling a four-month informal arrangement "Head of Finance" falls apart the moment a referee describes it accurately.
- Don't list people who haven't agreed. A surprised referee gives a weak reference.
- Don't pay for a reference. If anyone offers to sell you "experience letters" or a fake employer, that's a scam or forgery. Also, a genuine employer never charges you to check references.
Handling the "no employer" question honestly
If asked directly, say it plainly: "I haven't held a full-time job yet. My strongest work history is NYSC at X, a four-month bookkeeping project for Y, and my coursework. These three people can speak about it." Then move on. Hiring managers for remote roles often care more about evidence of independent delivery than about job titles.
Make sure your CV supports the same story. Writing a CV for International Remote Roles: A Practical Guide shows how to present projects and service years so your references line up with what you claim.
Keep your referees warm
- Tell them the result of each application, even rejections.
- Thank them with a short message, and a small gift if culturally appropriate and clearly not a payment for a favourable answer.
- Update them every few months with what you're doing.
- Collect a LinkedIn recommendation from each, if they're willing. It stays visible and saves repeated requests.
Frequently asked questions
Can a lecturer be my only reference?
For a first job, it can work, but pair it with someone who saw you do practical work, such as a client, supervisor or volunteer lead. Two different types of referee look stronger than one.
Should I put referees' phone numbers on my CV?
Usually not. "Available on request" protects them from unsolicited calls. Share contact details when an employer asks, and warn the referee first.
What if a referee is slow to reply?
Ask early, at least a week before you expect to need them. Send one polite reminder after a few days. If they still don't respond, use your backup referee.
Do all remote employers check references?
No. Some rely on interviews and paid test tasks instead. Still, have two referees ready so you're not scrambling when a final-stage request arrives.
Your next step
Today, write down three people who have seen you deliver something. Message the strongest one with a short request and a one-page summary of your work together. A prepared referee can be the difference between a stalled application and an offer.
Always apply through the employer's official website or verified channels. Genuine employers never ask applicants to pay for a job, training, or an interview.