5 Illegal Interview Questions and How to Dodge Them

by Angela Smith, MBA

You’re sitting in the interview for your dream job, and it’s going great. You’ve knocked the hard questions out of the park, and you and the interviewer are really hitting it off. Then, out of the blue, she asks, “Are you planning on having kids?”

Yep, that’s illegal. And so is any question related to your family, nationality, gender, race, religion, and more. But unfortunately, these questions get asked more often than you’d think, and before you get to the interview, it’s good to know how to respond if you’re faced with one.

the best approach is to determine why the interviewer is asking the question and whether she has a legitimate concern she’s trying to address. Then, tailor your answer to speak to that concern, gracefully avoid the illegal part of the question, and turn the conversation back to your job-related strengths. Here are a few of the most common examples, and how to face them.

Read the full article from the Muse
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By Simona Rosu
Simona Rosu Senior Assistant Director, Postdoctoral Career and Professional Development