Now, now, boys... we're getting closer to X-mas and you know what naughty boys get.

placed on the list next to the bad girls?

Only one of us is using four letter words. And it is not "coal".

Monster will give you a spanking and send you to your room without supper

OOH Baby!!! Make it hurt good.

**cough **

So, one needs to learn how to fiddle with their resume, and to keep busy while unemployed. Go volunteer, intern, consult, do something to put on that resume to fill up the holes. I was laid off in 2002 and went for 5 years without a 9-5 job. I did not collect unemployment benefits after the first 2 weeks because I consulted, volunteered, waited tables, and was otherwise "self-employed" so that my resume stayed presentable. And in 2007, just when the shit was hitting the fan, economy-wise, I obtained a good job (which I still have).

This isn't the first time I've been laid off, nor is it the first time I had keep my resume looking pretty. Another thing I learned was to have different resumes focused on different skillsets, and to apply for jobs outside my comfort zone. Hey, I've done payroll for a company, I can do HR, right????

But I do agree about the credit scores. I ran from an abusive husband, lived in motels for a few months while I saved up for an apartment, only to promptly be laid off from my job. This perfect storm of problems tanked my credit. A credit score is not always a good indicator of employee reliability/dependability.