I worked at two companies where the managers were really difficult, and I'm worried that if I put them down as references they'll badmouth me. Most of my coworkers from those times aren't in touch with me anymore. Is there any way to get around this without it being obvious that I had problems there?
The best thing is to look for references from people who worked *with you* at those companies but weren't your direct bosses - coworkers, people from other departments, someone from HR if you got along with them. If you really can't find anyone from that time, you can use references from clients, suppliers, or people from specific projects you worked on; employers understand that contacts get lost over time and it's not unusual for someone not to have references from their most recent jobs. What matters is that whoever recommends you can speak to your actual performance, without needing to be your boss. Another option is not to put those companies in your references but still include them in your CV, that way you show your experience without exposing yourself to a toxic manager sabotaging you.
You can put references from coworkers from that time even if you're not in direct contact anymore - most people understand that teams scatter, so it won't raise any red flags! If you really don't have anyone from those companies, use bosses or colleagues from other jobs, clients if you've done freelance projects, or even professors if you just finished studying. What matters is that they're people who can actually speak well about your work, not that you cover all your companies. Recruiters care way more about whether you actually did your job well than about having "perfect" coverage of your work history.
The reality is that trying to hide this almost always backfires worse than just being honest. Instead of listing the toxic bosses, use references from clients, suppliers, or people at your same level who worked with you at those companies - if you find someone on LinkedIn or wherever, message them explaining that you need a reference and most people are willing to help even if you don't stay in frequent contact. If you really don't have anyone, it's totally valid to tell the recruiter something like "in those previous positions I'd prefer not to use my managers as references, but I have these other people available who worked directly with me" - people who hire have been hearing this for years and it's not a red flag if the rest of your profile is solid.
If you have contact with colleagues from those companies, even through LinkedIn or Facebook, reach out to them and ask if they'd be willing to be a reference for you - most people totally get that people go their separate ways after leaving a job and it doesn't raise any red flags. In the meantime, you don't need to lie about your bosses: just leave them off the list and put someone who can actually speak well about your work - whether that's someone from another department, a client, or someone at a similar level to you in those places. Recruiters care about whether you're competent, not about why you didn't include all your managers.
Log into answer.
