The Dos and Donts for Sharing Opinions in an Interview

The Dos and Donts for Sharing Opinions in an InterviewIts bedrngnis polite to discuss politics or religion. Weve all heard itand its good policy in the workplace, where people of all perspectives come together to get the job done. But how should you handle it if someone elsespecifically, an vorstellungsgesprcherasks you for your opinion on a controversial subject? googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Here are 5 tips to keep in mind as you prep for your interview.DONT feel obligated to answer.This is elend a question that should come up in the course of a regular job interview. Maybe the interviewer is taking advantage of a casual setting (say, over a lunch during an extended interview process), or is just not aware of whats appropriate and whats not. Just because someone may be able to offer you a job does not mean theyre entitled to truth serum-level answers. Would you give him or her your Social Security number? Your bank account balance? Y ou should consider your personal opinions just thatpersonal. Youre not obligated to give a full and honest answer if youre asked for your opinion.DO respond with a question.In a case like this its perfectly fair to answer with a cautious question of your own, like what makes you ask? You may just be stalling for time and hoping to defuse the line of inquiry, but its a legitimate next step.DONT use it as a launchpad for your favorite political rant.It may seem like an open opportunity to unleash the real you, but thats deceptive. If you do give your honest opinion about abortion/gun control/healthcare reform, you run the risk of alienating the interviewer. Sure, it wasnt especially fair of them to set you up like that, but human nature being what it is, they may disqualify you based on your opinions and not your qualifications.I fell prey to this temptation once, as an intern in college. I was 19, and was positive I had politics all figured out. During a lunch with colleagues, I shot off at the mouth about my disdain for the president at the timeonly to find out later that one of the colleagues present was a huge supporter of President name redacted. I wasnt asked to return to that group the next summer. In all likelihood that wasnt the main reason, but it could have been. And I still cringe when I think about how unprofessional it was for me to unleash my righteous political fury at a work lunch.DO try to change the topic.Its okay to give a mild, middle-of-the-road response and then move back to the interview track. If the interviewer asks you about your political affiliation, try something along the lines of, Im pretty fed up with all politicians these days. Im more interested in what I can do every day to make things better. It may sound lame, but at least it dodges a potential bullet.DONT open the door to this question yourself.If your notebook has a Feel the Bern campaign sticker on it, or you have a Make America Great Again tattoo, make sure those are out of sight when you walk into the interview. Similarly, if youre, say, a vegan and you object to the fancy leather shoes the interviewer is wearing, dont go out of your way to point out the folly of his ways. Again, this should be about your qualificationsnot your personal views and beliefs. You probably wont be able to convince this person of the superiority of your opinion in one sitting, and even if you do, youve already put yourself in a box before you even get a job offer.Theres plenty of time to talk about your personal opinions with friends and family, or on anonymous internet news comment sections. The job interview is just not the place for it. And if youre asked to bring in your personal opinions on potentially controversial topics, you should feel comfortable in sidestepping that land mine.