I was laid off from the First Church of Christ, Scientist in February. I was given a severance of six months, paid until the end of August. I am working on my resume. My first step: call past employers about dates of employment. The church lists my end of employment as August, but I was putting the beginning of my severance as February. Which is right? Also, I have a long-term, part-time job. Lots of employers say ''why not go full-time there?'' For me, it's extra money to save for retirement (in 30 years). Should I take this off my resume? I feel they think I will not give 100 percent. Finally, is a year a long time to be out of work as an administrative assistant?

List your end of employment with the church as of February. Employers view the employee's end date when his financial obligation is over, which in your case is August.

There should be no need to take your part-time job off the resume, but perhaps it needs to be listed differently.

You would benefit from a session or two with a qualified career counselor. Every community has a Department of Labor One-Stop Career Center near it. Look at www.detma.org and click on services for job seekers in the upper left corner. You will be able to locate the One-Stop Career Center closest to where you live. These centers offer certain core services such as access to job listings, at least one meeting with a career counselor, and job search workshops for free. You will meet other job seekers at these One-Stop Centers. Talk to everyone because they may know about a lead you didn't hear about. Job seekers can be an excellent source of networking. They can have friends or family members at a company that you are interested in working at and may offer an opportunity for you to meet this contact. Many of the One-Stops run job fairs which is another great way to meet employers.

In answer to your last question, Massachusetts has had a very hard time recovering from the recession that swept the country. We still cannot call Massachusetts' job climate robust, but it is looking better.

It may take a year to find work as an administrative assistant, but I believe if you seek help from professionals and learn how to network, you will land your next job before the year is over.

About a year ago, I left my job because I was uncomfortable with the company's business practices; there were what I considered conflicts of interest that made it difficult for me to provide the services to clients they were promised. In the year since, I returned to school and got a new degree. I am now beginning the search for a new job. In interviews, how do I handle being asked why I left my job? Is it enough to say I wanted to go back to school? I do not want to badmouth my last employer, but of course, I do want to be truthful.

Your instincts are absolutely right. You never want to badmouth a former employer on an interview.

When the interviewer asks why you left your last job, you might say, ''I really enjoyed the work but I always wanted to get into this current field and decided to quit my job so I could go to school full time and get done quicker. I am really excited to get back to work and try out my new skills. I know I will do a great job.''

In this way, you have addressed the question in a positive way and can move on to the next question in the interview process.

I had a second interview for a sales position. When and how do I ask to leave at 4 p.m. twice a week to get my kids after school? Obviously, I want to be up front and make this known before I take the job. But I really don't want to lose the opportunity.

Cirillo's rule is to always get the offer first, then you can negotiate. When an employer makes an offer, it means he wants you. That gives you some negotiating power. When the employer calls you for the offer, you might say, ''I am so delighted to get this offer. I know I will do a great job for you. I do need to discuss one thing with you. Twice a week, I pick my kids up from school at 4 p.m.. I have been doing this for years and it did not affect my performance on my last job and I am certain it will not affect my performance on this job. I have learned, over the years, to make my travel schedule work and still be able to pick my kids up twice a week. Are you comfortable with this?''

In most cases this will not be an issue. The employer will assume that you can work this out and still make your sales numbers.

However, you do need to be prepared if the employer does not like this wrinkle. Are you prepared to hire a sitter until you get home and are you prepared to turn the job down if the employer does not agree to this request?

Smart managers and human resources folks realize today that the workplace needs to be flexible to meet the needs of its workforce. They know it would be a shame to lose a talented sales manager because of family issues. I think it will work out fine.

Joan Cirillo is the executive director of Operation A.B.L.E., a nonprofit organization that provides employment and training opportunities to adults age 40 and older.

Got a question for the Job Doc? Tell us what hurts and we'll try and find the remedy for your career woes, every Sunday in the BostonWorks section of the Sunday Globe. E-mail your questions to or mail to Job Doc, The Boston Globe, PO Box 2378, Boston, MA 02107-2378. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.