YOUR RANT: I was in mortgage banking. At a recent interview, a company told me they won't hire any subprimers in their company. How do I overcome this stigma?

911 REPAIR: A stigma is tough to face for the first time at a job interview. However, join the club: women, minorities, older workers -- there are many people out there who've struggled against this type of bias for a long time. Which always reminds me of the airport. The airport? Yes, because just like at the airport, we all carry baggage at work. Baggage that can make your job search much more challenging.

However, there are many ways to avoid tripping over your baggage in a job interview. I've included four strategies below, built around the word "PAST." For more ideas, check out Workplace911.com, turning cynicism into solutions.

-- P: Playful. Yes, playful. Often you can move past a stigma with a witty remark or funny observation. For example, when President Obama was asked the dreaded Clinton question, "Did you inhale?" he just smiled and inquired, "Wasn't that the point?" Don't leave your sense of humor at home. Often, it's one of your best tools for negotiating today's workplace. Just be careful to not appear arrogant or insensitive to their concerns.

-- A: Alone, NOT. As I said earlier, we all have baggage at work. Which means that many of the people you know who are currently employed have managed to move past theirs. So next time you get together with former colleagues or friends, instead of boasting about all your success, ask specific questions about how they've gotten past the red flags in their careers. You can learn a lot from the people around you about how to navigate the hiring minefield, but you'll have to ask. Seldom is this information volunteered.

-- S: Succinct. There is a classic interviewer's trick: When an interviewee finishes his or her answer, don't immediately ask another question. Wait. Often, when confronted with silence an interviewee will just keep talking, often digging a deep hole for themselves in the process. Avoid this risk by talking about your stigma(s) succinctly. Don't embellish. Give a short and direct answer to their questions and then wait until the next question. Don't feel compelled to fill the silence. Adopt this approach and you will learn that silence can be golden for you.

-- T: Truth. I've had people write to me who lied during an interview and still managed to get hired, but later on the company found out about the lie, and they were eventually let go. Never lie on your resume or in an interview. It has a nasty way of eventually catching up with you. That said, you don't necessarily have to volunteer damaging information about yourself either, unless you're directly asked about it.

Again, the issue in a job interview isn't your baggage, it's how you handle it. Use the strategies above to roll smoothly through your next interview.

WORKPLACE911 EXECUTIVE POINTS

Overcoming stigma in your past:

-- P: Playful.

-- A: Alone, NOT.

-- S: Succinct.

-- T: Truth. Continued...