What are some questions you have been asked at a job interview either in Japan or abroad, that you felt were inappropriate?

Aly:

> "Are you white?"

> Applying for an Eikaiwa teacher's position?

Actually it was a HS position. Mind you, it was about 15 years ago...

Luddite:

It was on their bloody application.

That was a pun right?

Aly:

"Are you white?"

Applying for an Eikaiwa teacher's position?

Kyronstavic:

Can you use an American accent when you teach?

I've come across some Brits and Ozzies who have had to put on a fake US accent while working.

“Did you enjoy your little lunchtime drinkie, Sir?”

Actually, that might have been the cops. It was a confusing afternoon....

Every interview I've had in Japan has asked me if I'm married, going to get married, or going to have a baby within the next 5 years. Annoying but whatever.

One of my friends back in the US, though, works as a translator at a Japanese company. He's a gay man (married) and during the interview he mentioned that he recently moved with his husband and then the Japanese interviewer asked if he wanted to be known as a man or a woman. He laughed it off and assumed it was a sort of misconstrued attempt to be progressive lol

do you drink?

A colleague of mine asked this question once - I couldn't believe it.

The interviewee did, so he got the job.

Interviewer: Do you like Japanese women?

> Me: I like women, if that's what you're asking me (maybe she was asking me if I'm gay, I thought).

> Interviewer: No, no. I want to know if you like Japanese women. Because we have some attractive Japanese female instructors and maybe we can team you up with one of them and you could make a girlfriend.

I like this interviewer!

kyushubillJ

In Japan when I first arrived applying at a large eikaiwa chain (now out of business), "Can you teach proper English?"

As you are from the USA obviously the answer was no! :)

At Coco Juku's interview (that one with a blue background and white letters):

Interviewer: Do you like Japanese women?

Me: I like women, if that's what you're asking me (maybe she was asking me if I'm gay, I thought).

Interviewer: No, no. I want to know if you like Japanese women. Because we have some attractive Japanese female instructors and maybe we can team you up with one of them and you could make a girlfriend.

Me: ...

Didn't know what to say so I said "cool" and passed on that topic.

(From a prospective private student): Can you use an American accent when you teach?

Not really inappropriate, just a bit dumb.

Are you married.

Do you have children.

Are you planning to have a baby soon.

What does your husband do.

All of the above are illegal to ask in a UK job interview as they are discriminatory.

In the 1990’s I was filling in an application form for a very well known international organisation and one of the sections asked about my periods. I called their HR department and pointed out this was illegal in the UK and also confidential information. I was told it was a mistake and to ignore that section. A mistake? It was on their bloody application.

In Baltimore applying for a bagging job at a grocery store when I was 16, "Most of our customers are white, will you have a problem with them?" My first experience with a clueless racist.

In Japan when I first arrived applying at a large eikaiwa chain (now out of business), "Can you teach proper English?"

On the telephone pre interview

"Are you white?"

here's mine, they're not exactly inappropriate in my opinion, but they're just plain stupid to ask in an interview:

would you be fine with working without a salary for the initial few months?

are you married?

do you know how to use the computer?

do you drink?