How would you answer this employment question?

In terms of integrity the best is first to explain that you are willing to start at the beginning and work your way up. This is what potential employers want to hear. When they ask how long do you see yourself there they (and everybody else) knows that it's not possible to predict five years into the future. In my experience it's been best to answer "As I see myself working myself up the "ladder" this would be a long term employment opportunity". I think it takes a certain type of courage to work at something that is "seen" as beneath your previous position. Good for you and I wish you all the best as you move forward.

Many people are in the same boat you are so put your mind at ease.

Start with going to Temp employment agencies (like Kelley or Western) that is where all the big companies are hiring from these days. The Temp Agencies do all the interviews, background checks and they give you quizzes on your skills. When they send you out you get a paycheck from them.

When the company you are working for decides they like you they will offer you full time employment.

Then you don't have to answer any questions you just switch time cards and your working!

Don't mention leaving the job for a better paycheck. Tell them you want the job because it seems like a good company where you can work your way up and even starting at the bottom is the only way you can work to the top. Mention self worth and that working hard to gain respect and make your way up the ladder is very important to your pride. That looks very good. Being unemployed (especially for a long period of time ) doesn't look so great but the same thing happened to me where I didn't work from like 18 to 22 and I said I room care of my grandma for a few years and received caregiver benefits. They don't look into that stuff so that always looks good and like you have integrity.

Tell them that you would like the opportunity to return to the working force, have reviewed your options and decided that this would be the finest line of employment you could offer to a company. You have great experience in this field from your years of work history at prior job sites, and plan to excel in your duties so that you can move up in the company. Telling them you plan to move up also means that you plan to stay, and that is a good thing for the company.

Also tell them everything you can do for them, point out ways they do work and offer suggestions on how things can be done quicker/more efficiently. Try to make it look like you would be a bonafide asset to their collection of labor, and that hiring you is the best decision they ever made. When they ask questions that could hurt you, such as "Why have you been out of work for so long", do your best to steer away from directly answering it, by providing answers such as "After I left my last job, I was involved in a lot of jobs requested from personal clients, whom I have continued working with and providing the best of service in my area of expertise" and then from there tell them any crap you want that could help make you look good, like personal projects or stuff like that. I used several websites I made for fun as props for the interview, and had friends say that they paid me to make those for them.

It's all about making yourself look good to the hiring manager, to such a degree that the hiring manager will be praised for their fine decision in picking you by their superiors.

Just say it the way you did here.