What to say when you've not worked for years

spendaholiceejit

I would go for "Spent my time learning/ doing x and y" rather than saying I did nothing for five years.

To be honest, I would say it will even be difficult to get to interview stage after a five year break unfortunately. Wish your friend luck!

coin_operated_girl

Due to ill health, I was out of work for 3 years. When I became well enough to work about a year ago, I orginally was honest on my application forms and stated that I was unable to work due to my health, but I'm better now so I'm fine to work (I worded it slightly better than that!). As expected, that got me no where so I changed tactics and stretched the truth a bit. During my time of unemployment I studied part-time, so I reasoned that because of my poor health, "part-time" for healthy me could arguably be stretched to "full-time" for unhealthy me, so I just said that the reason for the gaping hole in my employment history was because I was studying full-time. In reality I probably only spent about 4-6 hours a week studying. Although I had to provide proof that I was studying with the Open Uni during those three years, no one thought to question why, if I was studying full-time, was I only doing one module at a time with an institute which is basically designed for people wishing to study part-time. I was employed after about 4 months of starting my job search, but only started to hear back from companies once I said that I was studying full time.

marybelle01

thriftymanc wrote: »

It is a real situation - it's not me though, alas! Basically I'm friends with a girl who is well off enough not to need to work, and hasn't for quite some time, but is fed up with the lack of structure and not really getting to meet new people where she lives so wants to go back into work. No particular career. I thought I'd ask on here as it's an interesting situation. I know it's been mentioned about taking time out to start a family etc but that's why I mentioned it in my OP - if you haven't worked for 5 years cos you've had a kid you'd just say that. But how do you really say "I didn't work for 5 years because I didn't need the money but now I want a job cos I'm bored" and not come across like a total douche/make them think you're lying because you've been in prison/actually get the job?

I totally get her reason - I just totally doubt she'd get a job! No matter how well you put this, it still comes down to she has no commitment to the job or the company, and is she just going to pack it in when she is bored of us? I'm not going to take a risk on that, and few employers would.

TBH, I'd suggest that she spend some of that money on good careers guidance (or life coaching, or whatever) and decide what it is she wants to do with her life, what she can make a commitment to, etc. She's in a really privileged position - she can study what she wants, can afford to do something for the love of it and not the money, she could put something back into society to compensate for her good fortune - she can do pretty much anything.

Why waste that good fortune?