Educate yourself. There are questions the company you are interviewing with can't ask. The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, also prohibits discrimination against individuals 40 years of age or older; the Equal Pay Act; and sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991.
Now that you've heard the legal jargon, it basically means that a company can't make a hiring decision based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Companies can't ask questions in the interview like:
- "How old are you?" or "What is your date of birth?"
- "Have you ever been declared bankrupt?" or "Have you ever filed for bankruptcy"?
- "Do you have any children?" or "Are you planning on having any children?"
- "Do you have any diseases?" or "Do you have any physical or mental impairments?"
So what do you do if a hiring manager asks you a question like those above in the interview? I would recommend saying that you are not comfortable answering the question he/she just asked. To be completely honest, a company that asks a question like this is probably somewhere you don't really want to work anyways. These are what I call red flags and is a great example of why you should consider that you are interviewing the company just as much as the company is interviewing you. So what do you do if you feel like you have been discriminated against or you were asked an illegal interview question? Check out www.eeoc.gov to learn more.
Next time. . . Tips for posting your resume on job boards
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