Beware of these 7 red flag interview questions

There are a few questions that step over lines you might not even realize are there — though they are there to protect you.

As you’re preparing answers to every possible interview question in order to put your best foot forward in the interview, try to keep an ear out for some of these, which you are under no obligation to answer. In fact, it is illegal even for your interviewer to ask!

1. Are you married? Any question that could lead to questions about your family situation or plans (i.e. “Do you plan to have children?” or “Do you have any children?”) falls under pregnancy discrimination. An interviewer might even be asking about your sexual orientation — also illegal and discriminatory!

2. How old are you? Ageism in the marketplace is a real problem for some applicants. And it is illegal to discriminate against anyone over 40. Similarly, “When did you graduate?” is a sneaky way of getting at the same information.

3. Are you healthy? Especially if you’re applying for a physically demanding job, an employer might want to make sure you’re up to the task. They can ask about specific physical tasks related to the job performance, but nothing further. 4. What church do you attend? Avoid religious discrimination attempts by not responding to any questions about your religion or any religious holidays you might plan to celebrate.

5. Where are you from? As long as you’re authorized to work where you are, there’s no reason to answer this.

6. Are you in debt? Employers are not allowed to inquire as to your credit history unless it would directly impact your job performance. They also can’t ask you about owned property, or how you balance your finances. 7. How were you discharged from the

military? This is a totally inappropriate question. What you can be asked is what kind of experience and education you acquired in the service.