What to do with the "blank" time ?

I haven't work for quite a while because of depression. I had a job last summer but that didn't end well.
Now I have this large blank time, on my resume. If the people who interview me ask, I don't know what to say.

Do you have similar problem ? What did you say ?

Need some suggestion / ideas ...... here.

I haven't worked since January 2013. Despite that, I have still gotten interviews. About that gap, I just say I took some time to reevaluate what I wanted and have been looking for a job. It is true that I have been looking for a job with success for about 8 months now.

Good luck in your job search.

I'm in a similar situation. First, you got the interview, so that already tells you they are willing to overlook the blemish. The gap can be explained with a ton of things. Volunteering, classes, travel to a foreign country or even any odd jobs that seem trivial to you but can be seen as opportunities to learn new skills or a trade like car repairs that saved you a bunch of money. Things you might take for granted just as easily be veiwed as you taking the initiative to broaden yourself, be constructive and not just lay on the couch all day. But even if you can't think of anything, don't beat yourself up over it. You don't have to apologize to anyone for taking time off. It was just what you needed to do then, and now you need a job. As in newgal's example, be confident, succinct and as honest as you can. Just doing that says to the interviewer that you can handle what might be a touchy question, take ownership of your actions and not get flustered.

I did volunteer job in the "blank" time, but that's it. I didn't work for a long time. (I worked last summer, but that didn't end well, so I cannot use it in the resume)

Too late to edit this - - I meant looking for a job without success!

I've been struggling with this too. I was employed at a non profit for several years then left to work at a bigger company and couldn't handle the new job stress. Now I've been unemployed for 6 months and haven't had many interviews. I didn't mention the job I left the non-profit for on my resume as I was only there for a few weeks, but that leads to more questions as to why I left the non profit.

Penguinsing, folks have offered lots of good suggestions. I especially like saying you've been looking for work. Employers know that job search is tough right now. It's an acceptable reason for a gap.

When I finished grad school as a "mature" student I took a year before I started looking for a job in my field. During that time I did some volunteer work in the field. When I interviewed I told potential employer that due to events in my personal life (my husband died) I needed to take a break before looking for work. I also mentioned the volunteer position. They all seemed to accept that reason.

You said you have volunteered while you were out of work Perhaps you could say that while you were looking for work you stayed busy by volunteering? It sends the message that you have a work ethic.

I am intrigued by what you said about working at a non-profit - that it was less stressful, you seem to be saying. I have found that as well. I love my current job at a small non-profit - autonomy, lots of hats to wear, the right balance of structure and freedom for me. It doesn't have the best pay, but I have had to accept that I do thrive here from a mental wellness perspective. I have considered gradually moving toward something with more demand once I get highly competent at this position and in this field. But hearing you mention your experience makes me think that my move might best be made to another non-profit. If you read this and wish to talk about stress on the job, we could start a new discussion thread perhaps. Thanks.