As if answering questions during your job interview is not stressful enough…there is always the slim chance that you may be asked to answer a question that is illegal under Equal Opportunity laws.  The best way to protect yourself in that situation is to know what kinds of questions are legal and what kinds are not, and how to answer.  In general, questions that center on areas of potential workplace discrimination are illegal, including questions about your:

• Race
• Gender
• Religion
• Nationality
• Age
• Disability

So what should you do if you are asked a direct question about one of these areas?  You could answer the question and have your response used against you.  You could refuse to answer and then report them to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)…but that won’t get you hired, either.

Your best bet is to answer the question indirectly, by addressing the business concern behind the question.  For example, employers are generally concerned about your age for one of two reasons:  1) Are you old enough to work? They don’t want to get in trouble for hiring you if you are too young.  2) Will you be a long term asset to the company?  They may be concerned that you will retire soon and not be with the company for the long term.  So if you are asked about your age, don’t give a direct number age response.  Instead, simply explain that you are legally old enough to work or that you love what you do and have many years of productivity left.

For more information, visit the EEOC website.  It contains a general policy explanation and descriptions of illegal questions based on the various Types of Discrimination you think you may encounter.