Job application questions? I cannot believe they are ok to ask!

Oh well! I guess I can forget about that job. lol I am sure that they have the means to find out what ever they like. I was wondering why the light on my web cam was coming on intermittently then going off. Ill just put tape over it. lol and it only happened when I was on this site!

reply to post by junglejake


They asked if you have a face book account or a blog and if you would “friend” someone from the HR department

reply to post by xyankee


That's actually pretty common these days. Most HR folks look at web profiles to find out a little more about a person.

However, if you're tossing in the towel for having posted on ATS... Were you applying for a position in Boeing's rocket division or Lockheed Martin's Skunkworks? Heck, I have ATS on my resume and it hasn't been a problem!

Easy answer to both questions asked on the form : Get Stuffed . Any job that asks questions of that nature is not worth having.. Had expected to hear of such idiocy much sooner when they passed the patriot act back there.. Not surprised was only a matter of time before they added that bit of idiocy..

Those aren't 'standard' job application questions. Those are deep background/security clearance questions that only the government or a government contractor would ask.

One word: OPSEC. Learn it if you're going to take this job.

reply to post by junglejake


Heck no! I have not tossed in the towel! I really would like the job and just don’t want to be mislabeled because of some of the comments that I made or make on this site. I feel that just because some people express different views does not mean that they are unable to or won’t make the proper judgment calls.

reply to post by xyankee


Hi There xyankee,
You have obviously applied for a position requiring a certain level of security clearance.
Many people are not aware that within organisations (worldwide, large ans small) who deal with IT Infrastructure and Networks, Data Storage or any Sensitive Information within the IT environment, Law Enforcement and general Government, Military or for example stately infrastructure such as Water, Electricity or other means of Power supply including Transport Infrastructure will be subjected to answering these and similar questions.

I just recently quit my job due to being subjected to very intrusive and invasive questioning in the same context.
However, I was very much aware of the position and it was actually due to being offered promotion.

I can honestly say, that if you are intending to work in any of the environments mentioned above, you have to accept that there is a very good reason (like it or not) for this kind of scrutiny of every employee taking on a security sensitive position of responsibility.
If this was not done, there would be even more "dangerous cowboys" in positions of power which could have consequences in the long term.
I decided to "opt out" because I do not want to be involved in that particular kind of environment.

Unfortunately, there are people who misuse and abuse their positions, knowledge and information which can have a serious fall out.
I believe in the freedom of information, but, the dissemination of some types of information or intelligence can prove to be very dangerous if passed to the wrong person/s.
This includes private financial, personal data or as described above, critical Government intelligence material.

There sure is a whole lot of speculation in this thread. Considering we still haven't been told what job is being sought. It sounds exactly like a background investigation questionnaire for a federal job, requiring even the lowest security clearance. Like the one I once completed for the Border Patrol.

Originally posted by xyankee
“Are you now or have you ever been a member of any organization, association, movement, or group of persons which advocate the overthrow of our constitutional form of government, or which has adopted the policy of advocation or approving the commission of acts of force or violence to deny other persons there rights under the constitution of the United States or seeks to alter the form of government of the United States by unconstitutional means”

If you want to get really technical, this doesn't actually apply to most US revolutionary groups, no matter how violent they are willing to be. The question only applies to people that want to "overthrow our constitutional form of government." Though I don't know too much about the subject, or even if such groups exist, I am pretty certain that their actions would be justified under the pretense that they are defending the constitution from an illegal and unconstitutional presence that has usurped Washington DC. So even if you're a camo-wearing revolutionary with an arsenal in your garage just waiting for the government to cross the line (or if you feel they already have crossed the line but you don't feel quite like killin' yet), you could still, in all honesty, write a big, fat, NO after that question.

It's not quite as good a question as the one us Brits have to answer on the pre screening if we want to travel to the US

C) Have you ever been or are you now involved in espionage or sabotage; or in terrorist activities; or genocide; or between 1933 and 1945 were you involved, in any way, in persecutions associated with Nazi Germany or its allies?

My answer
Yes I am in fact former SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Adolf Eichmann

reply to post by xyankee


I have seen questions like this on a job application for a job that has a Security Clearance. You would really have to consider if you really wanted that job or not. Also, what kind of job is it that requires that kind of information.

The worst thing I have had t deal with is having a math test for a position that would not require that level of math.

I believe that, in part, application questions like these are to assist in weeding out applicants before the interview process. I mean, if you don't have the sense to keep stuff like that personal and you actually admit to it, then it could be an indicator of how you would handle business situations. A good rule of thumb is to put yourself into the shoes of the hiring entity and then answer the questions in a manner that is consistent with what they would be looking for. Worst case scenario is you still don't get the job; however, providing an affirmative response to those questions is going to guarantee you don't get the job.

reply to post by junglejake


My issue was that such questions were on what amounts to a medical visit form. There's no reason any clinician should be asking intrusive questions.

reply to post by xyankee


Do people know that Publix Grocery stores swabs the mouths of employees after a successful interwiew no pee test a day later,...a DNA test right now.

reply to post by human32826

I have been retnal scanned hand scanned DNA tested all for Child Support.
That was 15 years ago except I missed a payment and was "processed" with retnal scan about 9 years ago.

in response to the OP, the first question could be paraphrased a hell of a lot simpler: "Have you ever or are you now a current politician?

reply to post by human32826


Actually, that probably tests for marijuana and coc aine as well as tobacco use. We use them for low risk life insurance clients to confirm a few of their responses on the application. It's not a DNA analysis, as that would be prohibitively expensive for a grocery store to have done for every applicant!

reply to post by Ghost of Chewie


I was thinking the same thing.

reply to post by Sunsetspawn


I was thinking about that. It seems like there is a lot of gray area there. But when it comes to turning in family and friends is when I start to worry. It is one thing if I subject my self to questioning, but it is a whole different ball game when some unsuspecting person is brought into question.

reply to post by junglejake


What if a client quits smoking after they have had the life insurance for a while? Do they get a reduction?