I was unemployed for nine months, living in my ex-wife's spare bedroom. I did have things like an emergency fund (ironically, started at my girlfriend's insistence before we got married) and a support system (my ex and the woman she left me for).

I also did software development for a friend who was expanding his business. While it was a "keep busy" kind of thing, it paid off when I got a job offer. The HR rep said my friend could not speak highly enough of my project management, work ethic, and creativity; that was enough to move me to the top of the stack. So you just never know, Erin.

Good luck on moving into the next stage, Erin!