Well, here’s the real skinny…
My last day of work for my last full time, permanent employer was 10/31/07. Shortly after that, I had a friend who hired me as a 1099 (legitimate, not under-the-table) contractor for some demolition work. It was a short term agreement, and lasted for about 6 weeks. I started my job search in earnest in January 2008. I landed a temp contract with one agency which started toward the end of January, and that lasted ‘til the end of March of that year. Then that April, I had another temp contract, with another agency. That lasted until July. Then I hit the dry spell. I couldn’t find anything for a full year. I also found that the old “pounding the pavement” method of job search usually ended up in a referral to the employer’s website, and I had to learn new job search skills at age 60. My wife has a decent paying job, and with my unemployment to supplement, we were able to keep from either starving or foreclosure. During the last school year (‘08—‘09) I continued my job search, and also was able to spend a lot of time as a volunteer at my daughter’s school. I also spent time at home, working on home improvement projects and gardening projects.
I want to be truthful, because if I am not, and I get the job, it is likely to come back and bite me in the butt. What do y’all think the right spin would be?