On your CV, make it clear that having a career break was choice not accident. You could also include a 'Skills' heading and emphasize anything that you have done whilst not working that is relevant to the job you are applying for: for example if you've been involved in running a PTA or something similar these are skills that are directly transferable to a job, or even organising a wedding or a child's party is not so different to organising a business event. Also, make each CV specific to a particular job - this demonstrates that you have done some research into the company and role. Be as concise as you can: as an employer, if I have a pile of CVs land on my desk following a job add, I can't stand something that reads more like a novel. It really does help if you can get a job description for any position that you apply for, so don't be shy about ringing up and asking for one: this demonstrates that you are serious, and gives you the opportunity to think about what experience you have, employed or otherwise, that is relevant, and have some examples ready to answer interview questions. If there are any gaps in your experience, gloss over it in your CV, and if you get an interview, ask about training. Never lie, but draw attention to your good points. Also, if you get an interview, this is probably obvious, but dress appropriately - I once had a girl turn up for an interview for a receptionist position wearing jeans. I can't remember whether she had any potential because my first impression of her was that she had not thought about what the job involved, ie first point of contact for anyone coming into the building, and had clearly not bothered to check out the dress code. If you don't get an interview, or get an interview but not the job, consider ringing up and asking why, and what you could have done better, but be careful not to be confrontational. Feedback can be useful, but you must be prepared to hear things that you may not want to hear and treat it as a learning process. Also, think about who you would ask to provide a refrence, if needed.