Hi chapo, How the fuck do you find work when you have major gaps in your resume?

Short story: I went through a long fucked up period dealing with addiction and mental health issues. I'm fairly okay now mentally/psychically. But I'm having a real hard time finding work. Last time I had a "real" job was over five years ago, also around the time I graduated college. But I have nothing to put on my resume since then. I have zero networking connects, no one to put as a reference.

I need a job real bad but I don't know what to do. With no experience and no connects I feel like no one wants to hire me, but I can't fulfill those requirements without finding work that I can't get. I fucking hate it.

I'm also dogshit at doing interviews and I don't know how to explain long work absences without freaking out employers. What can I do?

P.S. I don't wanna say where I live for privacy reasons but I do not live in America.

    • SnugMelon [he/him]
      1·
      4 years ago

      This is an extremely sus answer and I wouldn't go with it. Lying on your resume is genuinely a much better strategy

    • ReaganYouth [comrade/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      I have tried this and it never worked. I think this makes employers think your hiding something.

      • SowTheWind [none/use name]
        ·
        4 years ago

        You have to be confident. They're not entitled to invade your privacy. If they keep prodding, they're the ones being weird, not you.

        Also a normal person would guess you or a family member had a medical issue, and they'd leave it at that. Any employer automatically being suspicious of workers and assuming you're shady is a domineering freak and not worth your time