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.
Put them as a reference anyway. Your qualifications speak for themselves; the references aren’t there to show you know the subject, they’re there to talk about you as a person. If they can say you’re hard-working, enthusiastic, have good attention to detail, or whatever, then it doesn’t matter so much what task or subject they’re talking about, it’s those attributes and attitudes that make you attractive to an employer.