Sure, we’ve all heard our share of career advice and applied it to succeed on the job and land a new one. But according to a piece on Forbes, some successful (and we do mean successful) media folks were pretty happy to ditch some career advice they were given. According to the piece, here’s a look at what they had to say:

James Patterson, bestselling author, was told to stay away from writing fiction! He recalled, “My first runner-up occurred while an undergraduate, and came from a creative writing professor: ‘You write well enough, but stay away from fiction.’ But my favorite advice was issued by a Hollywood studio head: ‘Alex Cross has to be a white man. Do a fast rewrite.’” [Tyler Perry will play Alex Cross in an upcoming film adaptation of 'I, Alex Cross.' Morgan Freeman has also played the character.]

As for Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post, it’s a good thing she didn’t ditch her passion for writing after being told to get a job.

“It came at one of the low points in my life — when I was 26 and my second book had just been rejected by 25 publishers. At this point I was told to forget about writing and get a ‘real’ job. But my desire to write turned out to be stronger than my fear of poverty. I walked into Barclay’s Bank in St. James Square in London and met with a banker named Ian Bell. With no collateral, other than a lot of Greek chutzpah, I asked him for loan. Even though I didn’t have any assets, he gave me one. I will never forget that manager, Ian Bell — to whom I still send a Christmas card every year — and I will never forget the way that loan changed my life. It meant I could keep things together for another 13 rejections — and then, finally, an acceptance. Of the many things my mother taught me, the one that’s proved most useful in my life is the understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s a stepping stone to success.”

How about Joni Evans, CEO of wowOwow and former literary agent and publisher? Evans recalled: “I really never have had bad career advice except from my mom in 1965 and that doesn’t count. When I was just getting out of college, she told me to NEVER take a job that required typing or I’d be cast as a secretary all my life.  So I went around looking for an editorial job (even then) and no one would hire me.  Secretly, I went to some summer typing school and excelled…80 words a minute (probably higher today).  In about two seconds I landed a job in the fiction department of McCall’s Magazine and I’ve been typing my way up the ladder ever since.”

Ali Velshi, chief business correspondent at CNN, was told to not count on Plan A. “Worst career advice I ever got was to have a good Plan B; a strong backup plan in case things didn’t work out as planned. I’ve since learned that you stand the best chance of success by having NO Plan B, but by engaging in a relentless pursuit of Plan A.”

Glenn Beck, host of The Glenn Beck Program and founder of GBTV, indicated not playing the game has served him well.

“The worst advice I ever got was ‘sometimes you have to compromise a little and “play the game.” Any success I’ve had in my life has occurred when I intentionally ignore that advice. In fact the best advice I ever got was the direct opposite — when I was a top 40 DJ, my father told me to start talking about things that interested me and that I believed in.”

Ah, the gap on a resume. We know it all too well; in other words, blocks of unemployed time that seem to blare loud and clear there’s a hole.

The key to gaps is having an explanation you have been productive during the down time. After all, it’s likely an interviewer will inquire about the gap so it’s important to be prepared with an answer.

Patrick Sweeney, president of consulting firm Caliper, told U.S. News & World Report, “Show how you put your time to good use. Examples could be learning more about your industry, networking with others, taking a course, a volunteer role, working closely with your friends or family on a project together or any number of things—no one is absolutely static when they are unemployed. Show that you filled that time with purpose.”

As for the good news? Due to the economy, you’re not alone in having a gap so chances are, several other candidates have them, too.

Since employers will likely more concerned with recent gaps than older ones, there’s no need to bring it up unless they do first. In the piece, he advises, “But you don’t want to walk into the interview and start talking about it…Communicate with enthusiasm and show that you’ve done your homework. That you know about their company and their business.”

In order to distinguish yourself among a sea of other candidates, staying on top of your game is critical to the interviewing process — gap or no gap.

According to a piece on FINS, Michael Theodore, vice president of member services at IAB explained the significance of the new certification: “Just as with certificates in other fields, this exam will give current job holders and job seekers a score card to prove their understanding of the most important concepts, guidelines and practices in digital advertising.”

As for the exam itself, it sounds like it’s intended to test a broad understanding of digital platforms ranging from mobile, social, and display advertising. And as pointed out in the piece, 25 member companies in media and technology contributed to developing the test! This includes Conde Nast, Time Inc., and AOL to name a few.

Keep in mind the exam isn’t a requirement to get a job in this digital media sales, though it sounds like having it on a resume would certainly help.

Scott Schiller, executive vice president of digital media sales at NBCU’s entertainment & digital networks and integrated media division, indicated having the certification on a CV can boost a candidate’s prospects of consideration. He told FINS, ”When I hire someone I look at what traits they have that make them qualified to sell advertising and this certification would mean another stripe on their resume. For the early adaptors it will signal their commitment to their jobs and as a result open doors.”

The first exam will be held on June 11 and will apparently take two hours to complete. As for the cost, it is $350 for IAB members and $450 for non-members. In order to qualify to take the exam, test takers must have worked in digital sales for at least two years or have obtained a degree in advertising or integrated marketing.