A relative of mine is attempting, at long last, to re-enter the work force. The question I have for you is this: How can he explain a long (over five-year) gap in his employment history?

My relative's last job was a professional one. He was placed on a permanent layoff, along with many others, and has good recommendations from his former employer.

The problem is that he has done nothing over the past years except "live off his investments." He hasn't been raising kids, working on the family farm or going to school, but then he hasn't been in prison, on public assistance, or undergoing psychiatric care, either.

How should he handle this gap on his resume and in interviews? What are realistic expectations for someone who has been out of the job market for so long?

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Rip Van Winkle is in for a shock. Employers won't be interested in his golf score, and references probably forgot what he looks like. He has slept through changes in his profession, which could have been sizable depending on his field.

If he hasn't kept in touch with professional colleagues, he may find his network has dried up and blown away. If his personal friends have been working while he has been playing, they probably won't be much help as character references. Would you put your professional reputation on the line by recommending someone who hasn't worked in five years?

At least if he had been in prison he might be able to plead temporary insanity instead of temporarily lazy. Employers shudder at the thought of hiring someone who has no motivation. If he has a long, frustrating job search, he may end up feeling like an ax murderer.

Let's assume your relative has awakened from his five-year sleep and is willing to do whatever it takes to get a good job. This is what I'd recommend:

First, he should re-examine his former profession. If his skills have gotten rusty or the technology has passed him by, he may want to go back to school. Perhaps a few refresher courses are all he'll need.

He should use a school project or any opportunity to get inside companies who may be in a position to hire him.

If his education isn't a problem, he can begin looking for a job. There's a good chance that employers will be suspicious unless he proves he is serious about working. He may need to find some sort of temporary assignment during which he will have to prove himself worthy of full-time employment.

If he knows a small-business owner who has a project related to his profession, he should offer to do the project as a consultant. He would be wise to keep his price very low so the employer is willing to take a risk. In return, your relative will ask for a job reference. He can then claim this current work experience on his resume.

At the same time, he needs to build his network. If there is a professional organization in his field, he should join it. Then he'll need to get actively involved.

Suggest that he volunteer for the program committee and the membership committee. These two committees are often the least popular because they take so much work, but they offer the most visibility. He will then be in a perfect position to call respected people in his field and ask them to speak or to join the organization. He will also be able to introduce the speaker to individual members during the cocktail hour - a perfect excuse to mingle.

If there is a job in the professional organization that uses the same skills for which he was trained, he'd be wise to snap it up and work hard at it; For example, treasurer for a financial group. Some people may notice. If they don't he may want to get some ink in the newsletter.

If he isn't a stockbroker or a financial planner of some type, perhaps he should consider changing fields. He seems to have some interest and ability in this area, and the field is growing. The fact that he lived off his investments would be regarded as an accomplishment rather than a job gap.

He should compose a functional resume, one which groups accomplishments and talents by category, rather than listing jobs in chronological order. If he is called for an interview he must have a plausible explanation about his long unemployment. He should compose a careful response to that question and ask people in his network for their opinion.

The most important thing to convey during the interview is an enthusiastic willingness to jump into a job with both feet. Rip can't afford to do any more snoozing.