Do Not Disclose Personal Information During the Interview

Your face time with a potential supervisor and a hiring manager represents a venue to discuss your work history, skills and experiences on the job. Interview questions about personal information should not come up whatsoever, and in some cases, these types of inquiries are illegal.

Keep in mind that there are several interview questions a hiring manager might ask that could make you uncomfortable. Sometimes, these companies simply try to watch out for their best interests. However, personal information should not come into the picture unless it revolves around bona fide occupational qualifications. Avoid answering questions about the following topics.

Marriage and Children

Marital status and family plans fall under the category of pregnancy discrimination. While a firm may want to know if you are likely to take family leave a few months after you start a position, the company cannot discriminate against you for having children. Interview questions asking about marital status may also fall under the protected class of sexual orientation.

Age

Age discrimination in the workplace is illegal if you are more than 40 years old. The only time it is acceptable to ask an applicant's age is if age is an essential job requirement. For example, if the job involves selling or serving alcohol, the employee must be of legal age to do so. Otherwise, you do not have to reveal your age for any interview questions.

Criminal History

Arrest records remain a sticky situation for employers. Background checks reveal such information, and you must consent to such checks in writing before a company checks any past behaviors. An arrest record and conviction record are two different things. Businesses have no right to ask about arrests, but the law may allow questions about convictions on a permanent record.

Health

Interview questions regarding health issues are generally illegal unless the job requires some kind of physical attribute, such as the ability to lift a certain amount of weight. As a valid occupational qualification, employers must state anything that has to do with physical health within a job description ahead of time before a hiring manager discusses these issues during an interview.

Handle these types of invasive questions by moving onto another topic. If the question is both illegal and offensive, feel free to walk out of the interview. Most interviewers probably have no idea what questions are taboo and ask these things innocently, as a passing thought. State laws vary as to what employers can and cannot ask in an interview. Know ahead of time what you should expect and graciously decline to answer any illegal interview questions.

Your personal life remains no one else's business unless you choose to share information on your own terms. Interview questions that stray away from your professional expertise, career goals and skill set could be against the law. How you handle the situation shows that you respect personal boundaries and maintain professional decorum. These are two attributes businesses should admire in potential candidates.

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