This is a good question which you can easily use to your advantage. If you are not working, and even if you have been unemployed for some time, you must come up with something positive that you have been doing with your time since you last worked. It is not enough to say that you have been looking for another job – that will be assumed.
The best answer will be either that you have been doing some sort of course to improve your skills or that you have been doing some voluntary work. If you know someone who runs a business, it may be possible to say that you have been doing some freelance contract work, helping out with this company.
Whatever you say will need to be backed up with details of your activities if the employer wishes to know more. If you are not doing anything with your time – you must start something immediately. Apart from being an absolute necessity for your CV and job applications, it is the perfect antidote to the depression that can come with unemployment. Volunteering to help out in a local organisation can help you develop new skills, gain experience, get training, explore your career interests, increase your contacts, build your confidence and help you to make new friends. Contact your local volunteer bureau to see what opportunities are available in your area. The government website www.direct.gov.uk gives details of local opportunities for voluntary work.