Page 104 - 101 Dynamite Answers to Interview Questions

Answer Questions 97

personal situation, such as age, marital status, family situation, income
stability, or class. For example, instead of asking about your age, he may
ask when you graduated from high school or college and then do some
quick arithmetic to caIcuIate your age within one or two years of accuracy.
Instead of asking if you are married, divorced, or single, he may ask if
your spouse has had a chance to visit the community. If he wants to how
if you have children and a stable family situation, he may ask if your
family is interested in information on private schools.
Religion can be handled by malung reference to holidays: “Do you
have any special religious holidays you need to observe?”
If he wants to how if you financially stable, he might ask you, “DO
you feel your current salary is sufficient given your lifestyle?”
The question of class may be handled by aslung where you currently
live or plan to live in the community as well as if you rent or own a home;
homeownership and neighborhood locational patterns are good indicators
of income and status levels as well as community stability.
Be prepared to answer these questions with tact. If the question is
direct and illegal, try to manage it as best possible (see section on illegal
questions). If the question is indirect, also be tactful, knowing full well
you are being asked a personal question which could have negative
consequences for you. If, for example, you are asked “Do you rent or
own a home?,” do more than just indicate one or the other. If you say
you rent, the interviewer may interpret this as a sign of potential com-
munity and financial instability. You might answer by turning this
potential negative indicator into a positive:

I’ve been renting n townhouse during the past threeyears. That worked well
for the first twoyears. But I’ve now outgrown it. And I know I’m losing
money by not building equity in a home. I plan to either purchase or build
n home within the next two years.

This answer indicates you are in transition. You view homeownership as
a wise financial investment. Money doesn’t appear to be a problem - only
timing and the right location. It also suggests a commitment to staying in
the same geographic location.
Questions about other personal subjects should be handled in a similar
manner. Turn what appears to be a potential negative question into a
positive outcome.