Year help: Getting out of Self Employment. - Help.com

Im struggling with the same problem.
i was thinking of maybe getting an internet business.

-faking it only works if you really can, I mean have the skills.
If you fake the skills and dont have them or just know about it halfway they
will find out sooner or later.
If on the otherhand you are a fast learner and know a lot, but dont have
the degrees, you might fake it a little :p

Clive, have you considered contacting some of your previous customers and asking them for a short reference ? I mean, the fact that you were self employed you cant ask an employer to write you one, and your customers are who you ultimately work for when you are self employed. If you put those references in along with your resume, Im sure that would impress any employer. What line of work were you in by the way ?

References could mean personal references, too.

Refusal to check the box would indicate to a prospective employer that you are unwilling to disclose your past, which would mean that your application is going to get chucked right away.

Mezz just beat me to the punch, because your current customers are options for good references, too.

Ultimately, the references are helpful for checking the information on your resume and/or application. As long as you can provide trustworthy people to do that, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Who were your customers when you were self-employed? They can be used as references too.

echo echo… references don’t have to be former employers. They can be personal, they can be peers (i.e. members of local Chamber of Commerce group) they can be employees, or business acquaintances such as vendors.

Are you filling out applications, or are you sending in your resume? There’s no way to fudge on an application, but I’ve had the phrase “References available on request” at the bottom of my resume for years, and I’ve gotten a couple of jobs where they never asked for any reference, professional or otherwise.