I'm not suggesting that you lie on your resume or in your interviews. But there may be ways to frame your situation more positively that don't raise red flags f

I'm not suggesting that you lie on your resume or in your interviews. But there may be ways to frame your situation more positively that don't raise red flags for potential employers. Instead of saying the last three years were "spotty contract work", say you were self employed. And if you're worried about your skills being rusty, start working on a side project or contributing to open source. That will boost your own confidence, help you get back into the swing of things, and give you something to talk about when interviewers ask you what you've been working on lately.