Dear Ella,

I agreed to a mutual release from my employer. It was their idea, and they also said that they would give a severance package if I agreed to this release; if not, I would be terminated anyway. My unemployment agency calls it "downsized." What, if anything, should I put on my resume?

Dear Terminated By Any Other Name,

In today's world, companies seem to come and go with greater frequency. Talented people, never out of work before, are now finding themselves in the uncomfortable and somewhat embarrassing position of having to explain to a propective employer the reason their employ was terminated.

I say avoid that whole psychological trap and put the reason you left your last employ directly on the resume itself. Skip down a line after your job description statement and write, "Reason for leaving: Downsized."

Now, I know that many career coaches say you should never put the reason for leaving a company on your resume, but I don't agree. With so many people standing in line for an opportunity to work in their area of specialty, it would be foolish not to make a preemptive strike against any misunderstandings or assumptions surrounding previous employment.

These are unusual times, and unusual times call for unusual measures.

Dear Ella,

Thirty years ago I was convicted of accessory after the fact in a bank robbery. I was sentenced under the youthful offenders act, which is why my record was expunged.

In the past, employment applications generally read, "Have you been convicted of a felony within the past seven years?" or something similar. I was told by my attorney and my parole officer that I was entitled to say I had never been convicted of a crime, but now I see more and more applications that specifically ask about expungment.

Am I obligated to shoot myself in the foot every time I fill out one of these employment applications? Am I a liar if I say no, given the instructions I've received? This would not be a problem for me if it weren't for the fact that I am living in my home town (I am caring for an elderly parent, or I would not be here) and people here never forget, they never forgive, and they never move on. I have no other convictions on my record.

Dear Get Along Little Doggies,

Unless you are applying for a high-profile job, or a position that requires a security clearance, I don't understand how knowing expungment information on a prospective employee would serve an employer. But, law aside, would you really want to work for a company that so micromanaged its employment process as to seek information regarding offences long forgiven and forgotten by the society at large?

But to answer your question as best I can, I consulted the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selections Procedures (UG).

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in employment practices regarding hiring, firing, compensation, work conditions and privileges of employment based on race, religion, national origin or sex. Furthermore, these federal guidelines state that other than law enforcement agencies, no employer is allowed to ask if you were ever arrested (versus convicted). However, conviction inquiries are permissible when used to determine whether a candidate is a proper fit for a particular job. Inquiries regarding convictions can span only the past seven years from date of job application or interview -- anything beyond the seven years is "off limits." Unless the rules were recently modified, expungment is not an approved employment question. For further research on this subject and for more information on the federal government's guidelines, go to www.dol.gov/esa/regs/.

In the future I would recommend that whenever you see this expungment question on an employment form, leave it blank. If it's important enough for the company to know the answer to this question, someone will most certainly bring it up to you again before any formal job offer is tendered.

Dear Ella,

I have a question about returning to the job market after two back surgeries.

I was originally laid off in July 2000 due to the sale and consolidation of my company, so I decided to change my career and attended several classes for the first six months of 2001. During the time I was out of work I ended up with a herniated disk. With the rest and doctor's advice I was able to function normally with occasional back pain. In September 2001 I landed a part-time job to get my foot in the door. Then in December 2001 the disk herniated again. It severely compressed my spinal cord and I lost movement of my left leg and parts of my right. Since then I have had two back surgeries and things are looking good and hope to be entering the job market by the end of the year.

How do I account for the time I was off from work? Isn't medical information to be left out of the hiring decision as long as I can do the job and meet the physical requirements? I am most interested in computer repair, but this will involve lifting and handling full-size units and monitors that have significant weight. Even though a company is not supposed to, I understand that a potential employer may look at me as a worker's compensation case waiting to happen, even with the doctors' clearances.

Also, during my time off from work, my credit rating was destroyed. I believe in paying my debts, so I have not filed for bankruptcy, but I know that for security purposes many employers perform background checks that include credit reports. How do I explain my bad credit? During the interview, most employers inform you that they do credit and background checks. Is this a time that I mention and explain the financial problems I have?

Dear Here We Go Again,

The UG states that with regard to handicaps, an employer can ask a candidate if they have any specific handicaps that would impact negatively on the performance of the job at hand, but may not broadly ask a candidate to reveal any handicaps that do not relate to the specific performance of the job itself.

Since your herniated disk will, without question, be aggravated or made worse by heavy lifting, why would you apply for a job that is sure to put your delicate health, your job and your already unstable credit in further peril?

You must know that if you apply for this computer repair job and are hired, you will be declined medical coverage benefits on any pre-existing conditions. That means that if you become incapacitated again due to your herniated disk, you may find yourself up a worrisome financial creek with no paddle or even worse, a back damaged beyond repair. Weigh your options carefully before moving forward.

With regard to explaining the reason for the time gap between jobs, keep the explanation to your prospective employer simple, succinct and brief. Just say that you decided to return to school once you were downsized from your last job in July 2001, then the economy took a substantial dip and finding a job became more lengthy a process than you had anticipated. Regarding your bad credit: Unless you have an active bankruptcy on your credit report, or a lien on earnings, your finances are nobody's business but your own.