In message , computerguy
writes
Maybe a bit off topic for this group, but you guys seem to give good advice
on a whole range of stuff...

In 2009 I was made redundant, the company closed down completely, I had only
been there a few years but nevertheless got a small redundancy payment.

I decided to start my own business as a sole trader building and repairing
computers shortly after. The business went OK for a while, even though I
wasn't making the same as I was in my employment, it was enough to live on.
This past year though, the work has about dried up, and I can no longer take
any money out of the business, have been relying on savings built up over
the years, so I have recently decided to shelve the business and get back
into employment.

However, one problem is references. Many employers ask for a reference from
your last employer, and since I am my own boss, I can't give myself a
reference. Nor can I ask my previous employer, the company has disappeared
without trace.

This leaves me with having to go back to the job I left in 2006, which is
only a HR reference "X worked here between 'dates' as anyone who I worked
with has now left, and even further back, to 2004, where the guy who was my
boss still works there, remembers me well and is happy to sing my praises
when asked.

I do feel that this has put me at somewhat of a disadvantage though, because
I am not having any great success with applications and at interviews, it's
been hinted that its a problem that my references aren't very recent and
even implied that I didn't have much in the way of recent activity that
could be accounted for, it seems I may as well be putting 'unemployed
2009-2012' instead of 'self-employed 2009-2012'

Any constructive advice?


Of course you can, just be honest and objective

When I Left Siemens in Fuerth, my boss told me to go away and write my
own reference. I never realised how difficult it would be to do.

You could always ask selected customers to add comments


--
geoff