If you've been laid off or fired, you're carrying some baggage, and the truth is that some employers may not be interested in hiring you no matter what the reasons are. However, you can do a lot to dispel their doubts by answering their questions and concerns the right way. The most important thing is this: don't lie. On the other hand, though honesty is always the best policy, you needn't necessarily tell everything. For example, if that particular job is far down on your resume, doesn't it make sense simply to drop it?

Q: Your resume states that you were fired from your last job. I admire your honesty, but can you explain why this happened?

YES: A new manager came in. I liked him, and I thought we worked well together. But a month after he arrived, he fired me. I heard afterward that many of the people I'd worked with were fired also, and he'd filled the empty slots with people from his previous job.

NO: I still can't understand why I was fired. I did my work well; everyone liked me. What difference did it make if I came to work a half hour or so late? I usually stayed later to make up the time.

Understanding why you were fired is the first important step to take if you want an employer to hire you. Any employer would be nervous and, in fact, foolish to hire someone who doesn't have a clue as to why she was fired. Own up to your mistakes; you'll stand a better chance of being hired.

Q: Your resume states that when you got caught up in the burst of the tech bubble you decided not to look for a job but to freelance as a consultant. How did that work out for you, and why are you back in the job market?

YES: I enjoyed consulting. It worked out well for almost two years. But I found it hard to do everything — to keep looking for clients and at the same time service the ones I had. I also missed the collegial atmosphere of working with a team. I'm eager to return to that atmosphere. I don't regret the two years I spent consulting, however. I think I learned a lot during those years — and I'm bringing with me the valuable lessons I learned.

NO: I liked consulting; I liked the freedom, being able to take a day or so off whenever I liked. But it didn't work out; I couldn't make enough money.

No one likes to feel second-best. Why should an employer hire anyone who isn't fully committed to the company and his job? Most employers, however, would be intrigued by a prospective employee who is bringing new skills and ideas to the job.

Q: In checking your resume we found that you were fired — and for a serious offense. Can you explain what happened?

YES: It happened about five years ago. I got in with the wrong crowd; they would go out for drinks every night and I wound up joining them. They were a rowdy bunch, not the kind of friends I would have picked if I could, but they were my colleagues and I didn't have the courage to refuse them. But one night we stayed too late at a club and drank too much and a fight started. One woman got hurt — they had to rush her to the hospital. I didn't have anything to do with it, but the cops took us all in. I spent the night in jail, got bailed out in the morning, and when I went into work later that day, I got a pink slip. It was a hard lesson for me, but it changed my life. Since then, I've had two jobs, and though I'm always friendly with all my colleagues, when I walk out the door at night I don't socialize with them — I head home.

NO: Some money was missing from a company where I was an accountant. The money was never found, and I was fired. My boss knew I hadn't taken the money, but he said I was negligent locking the safe, and so I was partly responsible. I couldn't see it, and I thought of suing but I never did.

Both situations are difficult for a prospective employer to accept. However, when a job hunter admits her mistake and has changed her ways, she stands a much better chance than someone who refuses to admit she might have been responsible for a serious loss.

Q: I see from your resume you were laid off from your job six months ago. Why haven't you taken another job?

YES: I decided I needed to brush up on some skills that might have prevented my being laid off. Also, I thought these skills would help me in my job search and, ultimately, prove an asset in my career.

NO: I thought it was time I took a breather. I drove down to Mexico, spent some time on the beach, and enjoyed myself. All work and no play, you know. I have a lot more energy now to tackle my work.

Six months is a long hiatus between jobs. Your prospective employer is right to be curious about what you were doing during that time. He's not interested in the time you spent on the beach. He wants to know what skills you learned that might help him in his business. Also, he might see behind that Mexican trip and decide that you're having trouble finding a new job. If so, this makes one more reason you won't be hired.