In Singapore, companies seem to want every excruciating detail about job applicants, details which, in many countries, would be illegal to ask. So I started the #thingsjobinterviewersshouldntask hashtag:
Things Job Interviewers Shouldn't Ask or Ask For
1. Date of Birth (Why? You want to throw me a birthday party ah?)
2. Passport photo. (Why? You want to apply new passport for me ah?)
3. Name of Father and Mother (Why? You want my parents to adopt you ah?)
4. Are you planning to have children? (Why? You want to have one with me ah?)
5. What were your PSLE results? (Why? Scared I fail recess ah?)
6. What is your Father/Mother Occupation? (Why? You want to hire them ah?)
7. Are your parents divorced? (Why? You want to help them reconcile ah?)
8. @adrianwongfs: NS do what? What rank? Must always go back? How long? (Why? You're the Other Mindef ah? -mb)
9. @mUAr_cHEe: Past Criminal Convictions. (APA INI YELLOW RIBBON PROJECT?! Do a police screening request on your own.)
10. @dylankkap: What are your weaknesses? (Why? You wanna kill me ah!!!) (Mine is Kryptonite. -mb)
11. Name of Siblings. (Why? You think you may be my long-lost brother/sister ah?)
12. What is your expected salary? (Why? No such thing as market rate ah? If I say one gazillion dollars how?)
13. What was your previous salary? (Why? You want to pay me based on my National Service allowance ah?)
14. What are your siblings ages and occupations? (Why? If I am on MC, you want to ask them to cover me ah?)
15. Detailed academic transcripts. (You also want the drawing I did at kindergarten too?)
16. Where do you see yourself in five years? (Winning Big Sweep 1st Prize.)
17. What are your strengths? (Why? Your company is recruiting for the Avengers Initiative ah?) (@EthanIceman: Why?? Does it come with great responsibility???)
18. @dinnie: The most inspirational person in my life. (are you hiring me or interviewing me for a biography?)
19. Height and Weight. (Why? Your company seats short people in front and tall people behind, like Primary School ah?)
20. Race. (Why? You have separate toilets for different race ah?)
21. @clementchio: "Name 2 referrers and how long you've known them." (Why? You Facebook ah?)
22. Your Facebook name. (Why? You want to Friend me and Like my posts ah?)
23. Single or Married. (Why? You want to intro me to your single relative ah?)
24. Religion. (Why? You don't hire Jedi Knights ah?)
25. Your NAPFA results. (Why? Your company got inter-department Sit-and-Reach competition ah?)
Needless to say, the kiam-pa answers in this post are not recommended replies to potential employers, not if you want or need the job badly.
