Dear J.T. & Dale: To make a long story short: I am legally deaf, 40 pounds overweight and have an accent that belongs in a category of its own. I worked in a plastics factory for two years and quit because management and co-workers kept making fun of me. I asked them not to, which only made it worse. I didn’t take it to the labor board because I didn’t want them to get in trouble. Now, how do I answer the “Why did you quit?” question without bad-mouthing my previous place of employment?

– RobinDALE: I’m biting my tongue, Robin, trying not to second-guess your decision about the jerks at the factory.

J.T.: Good, because this might be a situation where you can turn old negatives into a new positive. Tell interviewers that you struggled with being made fun of on the job; and because you didn’t want to make waves by filing complaints, you decided to find a better place for yourself. This lets the hiring manager know you are willing to solve problems yourself.

DALE: OK, perhaps this is the one time when “bad-mouthing” actually might work. Naturally, you’ll have to keep it upbeat. Meanwhile, getting into interviews will be made more difficult by the particulars of your situation. However, don’t lose hope. Your description made me think of all the great bosses I’ve met who relish the chance to hire the people that other employers pass over.

I think of the companies that hire from centers for the handicapped, and I think of one insurance executive in particular, a charmer named Brooks Baltich, who loves to hire those who “don’t look the part.” He interviewed one woman for a telephone sales job who nervously explained that she “froze” when face-to-face but was fearless on the phone. He suggested that she go to her car and be interviewed over the phone. She laughed and loosened up, got the job and became a star employee. The best bosses love to tell those stories.

And we’re betting that yours will be one of those stories, Robin. Let us know so we can pass it along.