To ask if you’ve been self-employed for years, what you do for references?

[Sprayerhayer]

I’ve been running my own business now for 5 years. For various reasons I’m looking to get out and go back to a full time, employed position (doing what I did before I went self employed which is completely unrelated to what I do currently)

Had a 2nd interview for a role last night, he asked what they’d do for references if I was to be offered the position. He asked if he could speak to my managers in the 2 previous roles that I had prior to being self employed. I said well I don’t actually have their contact details but I know that both of them no longer work for the companies. (And not being funny, we’re then going back 8 years or so) I said both the companies have HR departments who could obviously confirm I worked there on those dates, confirm job title etc. I also said I have had some of my customer’s now for 4 years and that I’m also happy to provide a couple or those as references too, I’m not sure that was going to satisfy him, I think he does want to ring up my old managers?!

What have other self employed people done when needing references?

You can use clients if they have been a client for a year or more, plus personal references from people in respectable jobs

Client thing is fine, I have friends and family in professional roles so I’m sure I could get a character reference from them too. I can understand him wanting a ‘professional’ reference and like I say, I’m sure HR in previous companies can confirm details but I just don’t know whether I want to be trying to track down old managers. Am I obligated to do that?

I always reckoned that after 3 years or so of self employment, I would be unemployable!
So used to paddling my own canoe, solving my own problems and making decisions that I reckon it would rankle to have to be bound by other people's ways of doing things, particularly if they couldn't see how wrong they were!
Managed 45 years of self employment, now retired.

Definitely don’t consider myself unemployable, however I am looking for more flexible employers who don’t treat their staff like children. No, I’m not sure I could be micromanaged now, but then I never liked being micromanaged anyway (who does?!) I’m desperate to fold my business though and go back to an employed role. It’s been hit hard by Covid so my financial situation is looking pretty dire and I have zero motivation to try and get it back on its feet fully simply because I’ve fallen completely out of love with it all anyway.

Clients, or your accountant?

@Bouncebacker what do you mean?

I think the poster meant use previous clients to give you a reference and/or your accountant.

I've used my accountant before. It's a bit weird as all they can say is something like "I am an accountant and I've done the books for [your name] for X years.". It is then left up to the receiver to check they are actually an accountant.

Though it is the same if you use any friends who are in a regulated profession like solicitors or doctors. The person recieving the reference has to check that they are in the profession what they claim to be.