On Careers

Part I covered everything from résumé length to format to ethical temptations. But what if you have a Grand-Canyon-sized gap in your employment?

Let's say you've been a stay-at-home parent, had a serious disease, were addicted to video games and pot for a decade, or spent said decade in Sing Sing for armed robbery. You'll usually do more harm than good trying to hide a gap with a so-called skills résumé on which you first or only list your skills and accomplishments and bury your job history. Even if your obfuscation nets you an interview, the interview questions and/or reference checks will likely make your résumé appear deceptive, and no employer wants a deceptive candidate.

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The nature of work is changing, and many employees are flocking from their bed to their desk in the next room to start the day. Here are 10 reasons knowledge workers choose to work from home:

1. Productivity. It's hard to get work done in an office (ironic, right?). While meetings and interruptions to catch up around the water-cooler can seem like good-natured distractions or even necessary for the job, too many can make it difficult to get anything done. Not to mention that overheard conversations and meetings that go far too long can be intrusive and annoying. While building culture and camaraderie is great, many workers prefer the at-home time to complete a project and the tasks on their to-do list.

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One of the most challenging and frustrating aspects of a job search is that there is no one "right way" to handle any aspect of the process. The interview is no exception; every employer has an idea about what constitutes a good answer to a key question. Candidates can follow otherwise good advice that backfires because their desired employers have different expectations from the norm.

What's a job seeker to do? Prepare to balance important, desirable traits with the types of replies employers are likely to want to hear. Tim Elmore, founder and president of a nonprofit firm focused on youth leadership development called Growing Leaders (www.GrowingLeaders.com), offers this advice. It's particularly geared to young job seekers to help them succeed at an interview:

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Most employers interview several candidates for a single position. In a recent blog post, the nonprofit recruitment consultancy company TPP recommended employers interview at least three to five candidates in the first round of interviews and two to three in the second.

Although each interviewer has her own style, the over-arching concept is usually the same: They want to see how well you'd fit the job, goals and culture. They've already looked at your résumé, so most of the time they're not really looking to test your technical knowledge too thoroughly during the interview.

It's all about how well you present yourself.

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