You must have a sound reason for not working so long or having a big gap in your work history. Some examples of good reason would be:

★ Caring for a sick family member

★ Raising children

★ Looking for the right job where you can really contribute (this will not work if the period of unemployment was an extremely long time)

★ Trying out self-employment or owning your own business

★ Returning to school for further training

★ Learning new skills

★ Exploring or traveling (for a short gap only).