Did you know that there are interview questions that might seem legitimate but are actually illegal? While there are some that are clearly inappropriate, not all of them are so obvious. Don't overlook the different types of illegal interview questions!
Here are a few types of illegal interview questions you should watch out for during your next job interview.
Types of Illegal Interview Questions
Interview questions about your family life:
Are you married?
Do you have any kids?
Are you pregnant?
Interview questions about race:
What's your nationality?
What race are you?
Interview questions about religion:
What church do you attend?
What is your religion?
Are you religious?
Interview questions about your living situation:
Do you own a home?
Do you rent?
Do you have an apartment?
Do you have anybody living with you?
Do you live with your parents?
Interview questions about your gender:
Are you male or female?
Interview questions about your age:
How old are you?
What's your birth year?
When's your birthday?
What year did you graduate from high school?
What year did you graduate from college?
Why These Interview Questions Are Illegal
So, what makes these questions illegal?
First, they have no relation to the job requirements. Second, there are strict laws in place that prevent interviewers from asking interview questions that can be discriminatory.
Why Interviewers Ask Illegal Interview Questions
Unfortunately, there are bad interviewers out there who will try to slip some of these questions in on purpose (hello, workplace discrimination). There are also some inexperienced interviewers out there who simply don't know these are illegal questions and are just trying to make conversation.
If you're asked these questions, whether intentional or not, it's best to be prepared so you don't get flustered during the interview.
How To Prepare For Illegal Interview Questions
Sadly, these types of illegal interview questions are asked all of the time during interviews. Not sure how to prepare for them? We built an in-depth interview prep course that will help you understand how to respond to such questions.
We hope this article helps you identify any illegal questions you might be asked in a job interview. Good luck, and keep an eye out for those red flags!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Are you concerned about age discrimination? While most job seekers fear discrimination by hiring managers, the truth is that youâre more likely to be discriminated against by a computer.
Most 50-something or older job seekers donât realize that the technology they leverage to apply for jobs may be screening them out of consideration. Sadly, this is one of the most common reasons that job seekers donât get the interviews they want and deserve.
Hereâs the key thing you need to know. The databases, or applicant tracking systems (ATS), that employers, recruiters, and job boards use to parse, store, and analyze incoming resumes are capable of estimating how much experience you possess. When recruiters or hiring executives search these databases for candidates with a certain amount of experienceâletâs say 12-15 yearsâthe ATS will screen out candidates who possess anything other than 12, 13, 14, or 15 years. As a result, your resume or LinkedIn profile will not be listed in the resulting candidate search. This eliminates your candidacy before a human even sees your resume or LinkedIn profile.
Please note that while job boards, companies, and recruiters are not intending to discriminate, the technology they are using to organize the flood of resumes they receive is doing so inadvertently. This means that every time your resume is entered into a job board system, company website, or recruiter website, the experience filtering described above may occur. It also means that your LinkedIn profile could be subjected to this same filtering process any time a company or recruiter searches for candidates like you with a specific amount of experience in mind.
If youâre currently in or plan to launch a part-time or full-time search for a new role, take time to age-proof your resume and LinkedIn profile. Three simple changes will boost your candidacy, help you attract more opportunities, and win you more job interviews:
1. Revamp Your LinkedIn Profile Picture
While we strongly recommend a professional headshot for your LinkedIn profile picture (you can get one in most markets for $100-$200), an amateur photographer might work if you know one who takes good portrait shots. The key is an attractive pose that makes the most of your facial characteristics and personality while minimizing any age-related deficits.
If you have silver hair, for example, consider using a dark background or black & white photo to reduce the risk of a washed-out appearance. Select a pose that conveys energy and vitality and hints at the wisdom youth simply canât replicate. Use a full-face smile to project energy with the photo and make sure you dress in interview-ready attire. You want to seem professional yet approachable.
2. Eliminate Dates From Your Education Listings On Your Resume And LinkedIn Profile
Itâs standard these days for most folks over 30 to omit education dates from resumes and their LinkedIn profile. This is easy enough to do on your resume where you can also omit dates of training, certifications, licensure, or affiliations.
In short, omit any date prior to 2000, since most recruiters only want to see the last 10-15 years of your experience on your resume or LinkedIn profile. To achieve this on LinkedIn, go to your profile and then edit your "Education" section. Select the âââoption in the drop-down box for your start and finish dates. Eliminate dates from other sections as well.
3. Remove Pre-2000 Dates From Your Work History Sections On Your Resume And LinkedIn Profile
This is a little more complex but well worth doing. On your resume, list your post-2000 work experience in your "Work History" section and separate your pre-2000 experience into an "Additional Experience" section. For your pre-2000 jobs, omit your dates of employment and list the amounts instead. For example, if you worked at GE from 1992-2000, report that as â8 years.â
LinkedIn doesnât allow members to omit dates from employment so your only choice is to eliminate pre-2000 jobs altogether. Try embedding a short version of older jobs in your first post-2000 listing or briefly noting relevant older roles in your LinkedIn summary. Either tactic will help you win more LinkedIn profile views.
While we donât recommend using online job boards as a key component in an effective job search at almost any age (there are other more powerful and faster ways to create and pursue career opportunities for yourself), the truth is that these systems inadvertently âdiscriminateâ against candidates with more than 15 years of work experience. Unfortunately, this same potential exists on LinkedIn and company/recruiter websites anytime a hiring manager or recruiter conducts a candidate search based on the amount of experience job seekers possess.
The good news is that a few simple tricks can protect your resume and LinkedIn profile from age discrimination and give you greater access to the career opportunities you want and deserve.
Need more help age-proofing your resume and LinkedIn profile?
We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. Itâs a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you update your resume and LinkedIn profileâthe right way.
