The country of the Future!

I hereby officially nominate the Dominican Republic as "The country of the future."

My reasoning for this is simple.... whenever you ask anyone when something will be done, delivered, ready or completed, inevitably the answer is "mañana".

10 illegal job interview questions - Just not in the DR

I came across this interesting article which clearly states 10 things that are illegal to ask during a job interview... in the United States. However, just to give a everyone a clear understanding of what a different culture the Dominican Republic has, I thought I'd go through them point by point and make a few comments.

#1: Where were you born?

• In the DR, this is occasionally listed on the resume. Mind you that most candidates are more than happy to give you this information, though I'd stay away from asking, simply because they are likely to begin reminiscing about their home town, or 'pueblo'.
  

#2: What is your native language?

• In the DR, all languages that the candidate knows are listed on their resume, typically so are a few that they do not know, but add simply because it makes their resume seem better. Their native language can be assumed to be Spanish, though when this is not the case, it will be clearly stated in the resume. The odd part is that when lying on a resume about speaking/writing ability in different languages, it is very odd that any candidate is proactive enough to use a simple thing like SPELLCHECK!!!
  

#3: Are you married?

• In the DR, there is no need to ask this. Its a standard part of the resume... typically opposite the photo (yes, photo!).
  

#4: Do you have children?

• In the DR, this is not something that is asked in interviews, but is volunteered by any candidate. Mind you that this information is offered as a 'negotiating tactic' that proves why the candidate deserves higher compensation. Oddly enough, on very few occasions does a candidate offer their experience and hard work as a reason for better compensation. Don't ask me why - I never understood this, its just the way it is.
  

#5: Do you plan to get pregnant?

• In the DR, you would be surprised at how often this is offered by candidates. Mind you that they are well aware that this is not something that is going to work in their favor (if you knew the labor laws, you'd understand why), but they are more than happy to answer questions like "Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?" with answers like "married, with several kids". Why they think this was a personal question is beyond me, but alas, it is more than revealing.
  

#6: How old are you?

• In the DR, this is typically on the resume... along with whether or not they have an automobile and drivers license (no, one cannot assume one dictates the other). Did I mention the photo?
  

#7: Do you observe Yom Kippur?

• Finally, we come to a question that simply does not apply. In the DR, it is assumed that all religious holidays are catholic holidays, which are mandated by law, regardless of religion. After Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic is the country with the most holidays in the world... impressive right?... Just try running a business.
  

#8: Do you have a disability or chronic illness?

• In the DR, I'm pretty sure this is also illegal... but again, candidates are more than happy to offer this information. Typically this information is offered freely if one simply asks as to why the candidate did not advance quicker in their previous job, as you can understand a disability or chronic illness is a good scapegoat for not putting in a little extra effort.... then again so is the rain, public transport... and my personal favorite... GOD... thats right... only in the DR can you ask "Why where you late to work?" and get a response like "Cause GOD wanted it to be so."
  

#9: Are you in the National Guard?

• If they can write a resume, it can be safely assumed that they are literate, thus their is a good chance the government will not be enlisting them to 'protect' the rights of the civilians.
  

#10: Do you smoke or use alcohol?

• In the DR, you can safely assume that the answer will be yes, with the exception of "Born again Christians", which are clearly identified by their completing most sentences with one of the following phrases: "si dios lo quiere (if GOD wants it)", "que dios lo bendiga (GOD bless you)"... well you get the idea.
  

Original Article - Steer clear of these 10 illegal job interview questions