How To Handle Uncomfortable Interview Questions About Your Service

We spoke with Tara Carlidge, Recruiting Manager at Citi and former Personnel Officer in the U.S. Army, to ask her about how veterans should react if a hiring manager asks them a question about their time in the military that they’re uncomfortable answering. Here’s what we learned:

First, many veterans do not have the experience of being asked an uncomfortable question about their service during an interview. Hiring managers and recruiters are being trained more and more on how to approach interviews with veterans, and what are and are not acceptable questions to ask.

Second, be prepared. In the instance that you do get asked a question about your service, be prepared with what you are and are not comfortable answering. There are a lot of civilians that are curious about what it’s like to serve in the military and it’s natural to want to educate them, but understand and stand by your boundaries.

Finally, focus on your skills and what you bring to the role for which you’re applying. You are in an interview for a job position, and the question that you are being asked may not be applicable to the role that you are interviewing for. It’s ok to tell someone that you are uncomfortable answering a question.

This article is one of nine in a 9-part series WayUp has completed in partnership with the Bob Woodruff Foundation and VOWS in an effort to help Veterans entering the civilian workforce. To sign up for WayUp and be discovered by employers, we encourage you to go here.