Are references/letters of recommendations really required in I.T? I have none and I'm worried it's hurting me.

I've ran across a few jobs I can't even apply to without 3 references. I don't have any, at all. My teachers in high school never saw eye to eye with me, my former coworkers don't generally like me because they know my number of priority is promotion, and I lost my only reference (a former employer) because he broke a promise to hire me back for this season and I called him on it and unfortunately some people can't handle being told it straight. I basically said he was a straight liar in as professional of terms as possible.

What do I do? I've been in the work force 3 years, and I've spent 2 of that as the senior director of technology for a multi-state tax firm (don't ask, right place at the right time), and experience in 4 others positions in between seasons. There is no reason I should be having trouble getting entry level I.T. work. I have an excellently formatted resume, I write decent cover letters, and I show up to interviews exquisitely dressed. I even go as far as working on refining my speech to perfection.

I keep getting interviews, but no job offers. I have a clean background, a good motor vehicle record, and i can pass drug tests. I have high end management experience, extremely high GED test scores, and proven and demonstratable skills. In addition to my superlative intelligence, preplanning and problem solving abilities.

I don't know what to do. Suggestions on working around not having references? I feel like my phone interviews are universally going well, but my interviews I feel like I'm not even being considered the second they look at me (I'm nearly 400 pounds at 20, but that has no effect on my line of work). My whole strategy is to do so well in my interview I make the other guys look like jokes. I live in a rural area so competition in I.T. and the entry requirements generally aren't that bad. I don't plan on going to college currently until the next democrat in office initiates K16 schooling (public college) as the debt/payout doesn't line up right now.

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