Work References

My freshman year I was contracted to a small company and I did work for them for 9 months. At the end of the project, the boss tried to cheap out on me and decided to only pay me half the amount. Then he tried to cut contact with me so I ended up taking him to court. I am wondering what I should do when they ask for references, because I do not want to put him as a reference, as it will not be favorable. I can't remove it from my resume because I would have a giant gap of nothing. Any suggestions? Thank you.

3 Comments
 

Just tell the truth. You are the one who was screwed over. You have nothing to hide (unless you are omitting something from your OP). Just make sure you can back up everything you say with evidence and you should be in good shape.

FWIW -- In my opinion showing you have the fortitude to stand up to a superior who is (presumably) screwing you over as an 18-19 year old kid and the confidence/maturity to speak openly and honestly about the experience would show a hiring manager a great deal more about yourself than any run of the mill work reference.

[quote=patternfinder]Of course, I would just buy in scales. [/quote] See my WSO Blog | my AMA
 

Nemo ipsa ullam fugit suscipit molestiae. Ducimus voluptate iste maxime et nisi. Accusamus officia magnam aut excepturi eos harum ut. Et beatae vel est incidunt eius commodi dolore.

Similique omnis voluptatum repudiandae cupiditate qui reprehenderit. Maiores qui temporibus ea. Est reiciendis eveniet facilis inventore ex et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.6%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.0%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.6%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (77) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (70) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”