What is the best way to get a job after being unemployed for two years?

Take the first job you can get. It’s easier getting a job when you already have one.

Depending on what your looking for, temping can be a decent way to go. You’ll start working almost immediately, and after a little while some company will probably pick you up as a permanent employee. Plus it’ll give you exposure to different fields and you can at least eliminate the stuff that doesn’t interest you, if not find something that does.

the absolute best way to get a good job is through networking. Make sure your friends know you are looking, and solicit their help. Reach out to people who are older than you (parents’ friends, friends’ parents, former teachers, church members if you belong to one) because older people are going to have moved into management positions and will have the ability to hire…whereas most of your friends right out of college won’t yet be in that position.

You can try setting up “informational interviews” which is when you talk with someone about the kind of work their company or organization does—you are not interviewing for a specific position, but just trying to make connections and find out what they do and if it might be a good fit for you. Try to find people who have a cool job that you’d want to have. Send them a hand-written thank-you note after the interview, and keep good files of everyone you met with and their contact info, even if you don’t think you want the job, in case it comes in handy down the road. If you need cash now, I agree with Kevbo that temping is a good way to go, and while you’re temping you can still try to network, do informational interviews, and meet people that could lead to a more stable job.

Also, figure out a good message or talking point for how to explain the fact that you have not been working for the past two years. Let people know you worked really hard in college to save money so you could pursue your dream of seeing the world. People admire travelers if they think you traveled to satiate a curious and creative spirit – or to volunteer and make an impact – rather than just “bumming around.”