How do I account for 7 months not working?

[Blue Ginger]

My UK work visa ran out in April, I went to Turkey for a holiday and to be at Gallipoli for the dawn service on ANZAC Day. Then got back to Oz in mid-May.

I took June off to visit my Gran and unpack my suitcase and the million boxes I posted home from London. Always good to work in the post room of an international company.

I started job hunting in July but there was nothing out there and was getting no response from what I was applying to.

I was helping my parents renovate the bathrooms at their holiday rental property (think 1950's laminated board, hideous tiles and mould) . Basically, I stayed at the house and was getting quotes from tradies and then arranging for them to do the work at each stage. Then we did the painting ourselves. This was supposed to take 3 months. It ended up being 5.

I was also house/pet sitting in Perth for a month. I didn't get paid as such, but I didn't have to pay for food. Yay for store accounts.

So now I have to try to account for the period on my CV. I was thinking a short paragraph before I start my work history but am having trouble making it not-wordy but still understandable.

Any help would be welcome. I will not copy any suggestions word for word, unless I have permission.

[fireheart]

Technically you could state that while you were "working" per se, it technically wasn't a job. Make note of the roles that you were doing during that time.

[csquared]

Site manager for renovation project.
Self employed, pet sitter.

Or just say that you decided not to work for those months to travel and take care of personal/family matters. That is, if you are asked.

[mathnerd]

You were working, just not in the traditional sense.

I like the idea of saying you were self employed as a site manager for a long term renovation project and pet sitter.

ETA: If I were a hiring manager I would look favorably on your ambition to keep yourself busy and your skills current while you have been on a long term job search. It separates you from the rest of the long-term unemployed crowd in a good way.

[bhskittykatt]

Echo what others have said. Just put what you have down. It shows you've been busy rather than sitting on your butt for 7 months. That will give you an edge.

[Blue Ginger]

I have to be a bit careful of how I word it. I don't want to imply at any point I was being paid for any of the work. I am on unemployment and they kinda get nasty if you work under the table.

I like 'site manager for a long term renovation project'. Can I use that line Mathnerd?

It's gotten to the point where I have to put something in before I am asked. The few agencies that I have had contact with have said I was unsuccessful because of the gap.

That doesn't even count the people who have no idea what a working holiday is. They wanted to know why I didn't have back to back work. Durr, because I was in Europe and I wanted to actually, you know, travel. And have they not heard of a little thing called the GFC?

[Teefies2]

Another thought is that you could put "X date to X date: working as temporary employee in a number of positions, such as <site manager, etc. what the others said>" That way, you're not "lazing about", rather working, just not in positions that would have led to permanent employment. As someone above said, you've not been sitting on your butt

[Food Lady]

I have to be a bit careful of how I word it. I don't want to imply at any point I was being paid for any of the work. I am on unemployment and they kinda get nasty if you work under the table.

So list them as Site manager for renovation project and pet sitter, but specify that they were volunteer occupations. This shows you were doing something, and any kind of volunteering should be seen as a good thing.