Sex and Your Job Search 2013: A Guide to Scoring Your Dream Job (27 page)

Subject: Nationality

It is important for an employer to find out if a candidate can legally work for them. How the question is asked, however, is also important.

Illegal:
Are you a U.S. citizen? How long have you lived here? What is your native tongue? Where were you born? What language do you speak at home?

Legal:
Are you authorized to work in the U.S.? What languages do you read, speak, or write fluently? What is your current address and phone number?

Subject: Marital and Family Status

These questions are mainly directed to woman, but can be asked of anyone.

Illegal:
Who do you live with? Do you plan to have a family? How many kids do you have? What is your maiden name?

Legal:
How did you become interested in our industry? Have you worked or earned a degree under a different name? Are you available to work overtime on occasion? Can you travel? Are you willing to relocate? What are your long-term career goals?

Subject: Religion

Religion is a sensitive topic in the workplace and in interviews. Here are the differences in allowable questions.

Illegal:
What religion do you practice? What religious holidays do you observe?

Legal:
What days are you available to work? Are you able to work our required schedule?

Subject: Age

Experience is essential for many types of jobs, which is why employers may ask these types of questions.

Illegal:
How old are you? When did you graduate from school? How long do you plan to work before you retire?

Legal:
Are you over the age of 18? What are your long-term career goals?

Subject: Gender

An employer should be careful not to make any assumptions about a candidate.

Illegal:
How do you feel about managing both sexes? We’ve always had the opposite sex do this job. How do you think you will handle it?

Legal:
What can you offer our company as it relates to managing employees? Tell us about your previous management experience.

Subject: Health and Personal

Most jobs have physical demands associated with them, but employers need to make decisions about you only as they relate to performing the job duties.

Illegal:
How tall are you? How much do you weigh? Have you had any recent illnesses? Have you ever been arrested?

Legal:
Are you able to reach items that are four feet high? Are you able to lift a fifty-pound weight and carry it fifty yards, as this is part of the job function? How many days of work did you miss last year? Are you able to perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodations? Have you ever been convicted of a crime, other than a traffic infraction?

If you are asked about your health, try to be cool and think about responding like this: “I feel that I’ve been a valuable contributor in all my previous jobs. I believe that my letters of reference highlight this. I’m more than happy to have you call my employer for references, if I am seriously being considered for this position.” As a student or new grad, you may speak to your GPA as an indication of your work ethic, in addition to any other school functions you were a part of including student government, sports, scholarships, and work-study programs.

After asking several questions, most interviewers will wrap up an interview with a generic “Why should we hire you?” question. Or they may ask, “Tell me something that you want me to know about you. This is your chance to brag about what a great employee you would be.”

The interviewer
already
knows what the most common responses to this question are. While an applicant is talking, they are reviewing their notes, collecting their thoughts, and determining if there is anything else they want to ask.

The most common responses to these questions are as follows.

1. I’m a hard worker

2. I’m a team player

3. I’m a fast learner

4. I get along well with others

5. I’m always on time

The answers above tell an interviewer nothing. They’re subjective and opinions. So, avoid them.

When you’re deeply engaged in Third Base, and the hottie you’re with has vocalized their satisfaction, repeat what you feel they liked the best. Easy.

In order to do so, refer to the top three stories that
you
feel the interviewer liked the best during the interview. Oftentimes these will be the top three attributes that are necessary to do well in the position. Think about what skills and abilities
the interviewer
wants in an applicant and summarize them.

For example, if I were applying for a recruiter job, I would answer the question like this:

“As I mentioned in my story about Adaptability, I learned a new behavioral and values based interviewing system in under two weeks, in order to train 85% of my organization’s one thousand hiring managers in under two years. To do this, I improved my Communication Skills, and in the long run I feel that I enhanced my Technical interviewing skills through the implementation of this large project and by learning new software. I am ready to further improve my skills while contributing to your organization’s success.”

It’s OK to add a personal touch, as long as it is position or company related. For example, if you know that the company you are interviewing with puts on a number of charity golf tournaments and/or the person you are reporting to plays a lot of golf, you could say: “Oh one last thing, not to brag or anything, but I’ve really improved my golf game recently and got closest to the pin in a tournament a few months ago. I won a brand-new driver and finally got to replace the one I’d had since college.”

They’ll most likely think, “Oh, this person is a cultural fit. He or she did their homework on our company and will fit right in.”

The same thought process goes for any other interest your interviewer or corporation may have. This is why you did your homework. Tie it in as best as you can.

A lot of times, applicants will use the question, “Tell me something about yourself that you haven’t already mentioned,” to give interviewers some very personal information. Please don’t be like the following applicant.

The answer went like this, as told to me by a HR rep: “Well… hmm… you should know that about once a month, I get a little crabby and quiet during my time of the month. My husband and son are used to this and they know to just leave me alone during that time.”

There was no laughter or even a hint of a smile from the applicant after that sentence. Just the quiet sound of air blowing through the vents. The interviewer was speechless. What’s even worse for the applicant is that she had done pretty well up until this point.

The main concern here is that if you’re discussing your menstrual cycle during an interview, when you are supposed to be on your best behavior, what will you talk about once you are hired and on the job?

The interview is not a therapy session. This is not the time to open up about your private life.

Personally, I’ve had good applicants tell me how many kids they’ve raised on their own, how long they’ve been in their current relationship, and ask if I was single. That’s getting far too personal, and an interviewer can do nothing but put down their pen and smile.

Please note, if you are a stay-at-home mom re-entering the workforce, try to frame your response as they relates to the Seven Skills. For example, raising a big family takes Organizational Skills, and you could describe how those skills have improved or were managed. Or you can talk about household budgeting in Excel, which has improved your Technical Skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office. Couponing is a good way to demonstrate saving your family money and incentivizing your kids relates to motivating “your employees.” But, keep it work related, ya’ll.

The question was, “Tell me something that you want me to know about you.”

Without missing a beat, the applicant perked up and said, “Well, I’ve always wanted to be a horse named Candy!” “WTF?!” was the interviewer’s internal response.

The applicant quickly went on to say, “Since I was a little girl, I’ve dreamed of being a horse and grazing in a field. And a young girl in grade school would be my caretaker.”

The interviewer’s jaw was on the floor. She didn’t know what was happening. She told me later that it was so surreal, she wasn’t sure if any of it really took place.

This applicant was qualified on paper, but was a self-proclaimed “artist” (that’s being kind). The interviewee was ultimately rejected as being “Not as qualified due to job duties and skills,” which was also true. Interviewers don’t document someone’s mental state or any other personal information as a reason for not hiring them. But they will definitely tell their colleagues in human resources if someone talks about wanting to be a horse during an interview. Lawd have mercy!

WHEN EMPLOYERS ASK FOR YOUR
FACEBOOK AND SOCIAL MEDIA PASSWORDS

I wouldn’t give my Facebook password out if I was interviewing, and I never ask for an applicant’s password in an interview. In my opinion, someone’s personal life should stay personal, and hiring should be based on skills and corporate values alone. I would bet that in a couple of years the practice of asking for social media passwords will be illegal. Several states have laws in the works that will soon protect job seekers from these types of actions.

The only time it may be acceptable, in my opinion, is when someone is applying for a public servant job, such as a policeman or policewoman. Fine, please make sure that they are not racist psychopaths. I’m cool with that.

As I mentioned in Chapter 4, it’s probably a good idea to “clean up” your Facebook account or tighten down your security settings. Even if an employer does not ask you for your password, nothing is stopping them from searching your name at work after you leave or from their private computers.

If you are asked for a social media password, respond in a respectful manner. “I don’t involve myself in social media during work hours and I would hope that my employer would respect my privacy outside of work” Or, “I like to keep my personal life very private. Is this something that is required to move forward? I’m happy to show you my LinkedIn profile.” Depending on their response, it is up to you whether or not you want to continue the interview.

One last thing, you may want to shy away from posting negative thoughts about a current or former employer in social media. Would you say the same things about someone you are in a relationship with and not expect the person to find out? This could come back to haunt you in a reference check. Use common sense. Vent in your journal or to your closest friends.