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About your personal life
There are countries in which certain questions are against the law, as for example, questions related to race, color, religion, ethnic origin, age, gender, marital status, physical handicap, medical condition, information about arrests or any other criterion included by the legislation.
Even in these countries and despite the law, these types of questions are commonly posed. You can deny answering them, but that attitude won’t speak on your favor. The ideal thing to do is to try and pass this type of questions and influence in your favor –if it were possible- in any discriminatory attitude from your employer.
1. How is your family life like?
Be brief and spontaneous. Don’t try to be what you really aren’t and don’t feel. On the other hand, keep in mind that all the employers value an organized life with a certain family routine.
2. How much time do you spend with your family?
Try to give a balanced answer. Keep in mind that you may be talking with a person who considers that the work is the most important thing or with other who values the time dedicated to the family.
Both things are important in a person’s life; describe your thoughts and your uses and customs, without giving valorization judges about which one is more important than the other.
3. Are you the head of a family?
I honestly think that this is an unfortunate question, but I know people who still pose it. They frequently use it when they interview successful women.
Don’t make jokes or comments that involve your interviewer.
4. Does your spouse have a job? Does it cause any conflicts?
This is an unnecessary question, which is always made and can have different connotations for men and women.
It can be the case that your spouse works for the competition. If you know it, it will talk good of you if you mention it. This can be known at some moment. It is always recommendable for you to mention it before they find it out in some other way.
Many companies have written and unwritten policies about this.
5. Why did you get divorced? What did you learn from this experience?
In my opinion, this is an indiscrete question, but they can pose it to you.
If you have recently divorced and you are not over it yet, rehearse the answer so your eyes won’t get red and you won’t get excessively tense.
6. Describe your relation with your children.
Keep the balance once again. Show your pride without going to extremes. If you have gorgeous children, this is not the appropriate time to show their pictures. If by the contrary, you got divorced and your ex doesn’t allow you to see them, prepare your answer, so you will avoid showing your emotions during the interview. If you are going through a bad moment, your interlocutor will understand it, I recommend you to rehearse these answers in order to manage your emotions better.
7. Women with small children are frequently asked about their care.
Keep in mind that they don’t expect you to stop taking proper care of your children because of the work, but not to stop taking proper care of your work because of your children either.
A reasonable attitude and an adequate answer is that, whenever there is a problem you will find the way of attending the family emergency and, for example, with a phone call, delegating the work of the day to a work mate, etc.
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