If you missed yesterday's Chicago job fairs, as reported by WGN, don't despair. There's another one tomorrow from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel in Oak Brook and then another one at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza on April 27 (same times), according to online job-seeking network ChicagoHires.
Job fairs are a great to get beyond the anonymity of your résumé and in front of hiring managers from companies that actually are planning to add staff.
The ChicagoHires web site also provides tips on how to prepare for and ultimately ace a job interview, including obvious suggestions like "be on time" and "ask appropriate questions." But despite your willingness to please a potential new employer, any Chicago employment lawyer will tell you that the interviewing manager must also ask appropriate questions. Illegal interview questions are something all job applicants should be aware of.
Inappropriate questions can run afoul of the law if they establish your designation as part of one or more protected classes, such as disability or nationality, according to FindLaw.
Once interviewers ask questions such as "Are you a paraplegic?" or "Where were you born?" the employer has crossed a line. Discrimination on the basis of race, nationality, age, gender, religion, disability, genetics and pregnancy is banned under state and federal law.
The Illinois Human Rights Act adds sexual orientation, citizenship status, marital status, and military service/discharge to the list of considerations off-limits to prospective employers. It may be worthwhile to contact an Illinois employment lawyer if a hiring manager has inquired about any of those topics. Additionally, these topics have nothing to do with an appropriate evaluation of your ability to do the job.
But by all means, get out to as many job fairs as you can. It helps sharpen your interview skills while getting you out of the house and actively searching for work.
Related Resources:
- Illegal Interview Questions: Special Considerations for Women (FindLaw)
- The Farmer's Daughter: Iowa Woman Fired for Not Being Cute? (FindLaw's Law & Daily Life Blog)
- Search Illinois Employment Lawyers (FindLaw)
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