Should I include references from volunteer work on my CV?
I've mostly done volunteer work and freelance projects, no traditional full-time jobs yet. Can I use those people as professional references or will employers take me less seriously?
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Absolutely include them, employers care way more about what you actually did and can do than whether someone paid you to do it - I've hired folks based on side projects and volunteer gigs plenty of times, and honestly a solid reference from someone who supervised you is a solid reference, period. The only thing I'd maybe do is label them clearly so there's no confusion, like "volunteer project lead" or whatever so they know the context right away.
Definitely include them - like others said, the work itself matters way more than the paycheck attached to it. I'd just make sure your references can actually speak to your skills and work quality, so maybe ask them first if they'd be comfortable vouching for you, and be clear about what specific projects or responsibilities they saw you handle. One thing I'd add though: are these volunteer roles recent enough that your references will remember the details? If it's been a couple years, they might be rusty on specifics, which could hurt you in the reference check.
Definitely use them. I've picked up fares with people who swear their best employees came from volunteer backgrounds - employers want to know you can actually do the work, not just that someone cut you a paycheck. Just make sure your references can speak specifically to what you accomplished and how you handled responsibilities, same as any other job.
And yeah those references are totally legit. I know it can feel weird like you're not "real work experience" but honestly from what I've seen talking to people in different fields, employers get that not everyone takes the traditional route. They care way more about what you actually accomplished and whether you can show up and do good work.
The key thing is picking references who can actually speak to your work ethic and skills. So like, if you volunteered at a nonprofit and helped organize events or managed social media or whatever, get a reference from someone who directly saw you doing that stuff - a supervisor, coordinator, whoever was running things. Same with freelance projects. Even if it wasn't paid "officially" it still shows you delivered something for someone. That's what matters. Just be honest about it on your CV - write "volunteer" or "freelance project" next to the role so there's no confusion.
One heads up though - make sure your references actually know you and what you did well enough to speak about it in detail. Employers will call them and ask specific questions. So don't just grab someone's name because they're impressive if they barely worked with you. A solid reference from someone who knows your actual work beats a fancy-sounding name any day. You're not starting from behind here, you're just taking a different path.
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