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Old 01-11-2014, 08:31 PM
 
Location: 500 miles from home
33,942 posts, read 22,395,597 times
Reputation: 25806

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Quote:
Originally Posted by charlygal View Post
^This. I'd use a vague answer that really doesn't say anything. Something like "I used varied financing resources."
That's a good one. I wonder what their purpose is in asking this question?

I did have one boss that really liked to hire people who had put themselves through college. He just thought that showed . . . drive. My parents paid for mine so not sure how I got hired!
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Old 01-11-2014, 08:39 PM
 
6,345 posts, read 8,068,188 times
Reputation: 8784
Quote:
Originally Posted by StrangeAsAngels View Post
It's not a clearance position or finance-related. If that were the type of job, then I'd understand but it's with a small online retailer. I've been asked to fill out questionnaires in the past and they've at least had some relevance to the position and they never crossed any lines. I felt this one did in a major way.

I wish I could pass. I'm so desperate for a job right now.
You get creative here. Tell them that you started started a small online retail company that paid all your expenses. You sold it after graduation to Yahoo and want the next challenge.

It's complete BS and I am just kidding.
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Old 01-11-2014, 08:43 PM
 
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,165 posts, read 80,278,112 times
Reputation: 57025
I have never asked that nor would I, but I suspect it may be to prevent what happened to me one time with an employee. She owed $40,000 from college and was not making payments, so there was a court judgement and her wages were garnished. That process is a real pain for the employer. If they have had that experience they may be trying to avoid it again. It's still ridiculous, though, because the same could happen for any debt, lawsuit or child support.
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Old 01-11-2014, 10:51 PM
 
8,583 posts, read 15,958,133 times
Reputation: 11355
If you had even one small job in all of your college years I would answer that you
had a combination of parental support & employment & loans( if you did have loans)

I don''t think its a good question but I would just keep my eye on the goal & answer it .

ps..add in "scholarships" if any..
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Old 01-11-2014, 11:43 PM
 
2,563 posts, read 3,660,807 times
Reputation: 3572
How did you pay for college? "With money."

Sounds like a stupid question.
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Old 01-12-2014, 05:53 AM
 
914 posts, read 938,983 times
Reputation: 1069
The problem being...it is SUCH an employer's market these days, they can pretty much ask what they want, and discriminate on any basis they choose and get away with it. This question is probably one of the tools they use to excuse later discrimination against people they don't want to hire...for example, if they did not want to hire blacks, or gay people...they would not hire that person....and then point to their answer to that specific question as being "insufficient" and that would be the reason for not hiring - when the REAL reason would be the person being black or gay.

Employers often ask "qualifying" questions like these to give themselves area with which to cover their assets against later charges of discrimination.
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Old 01-12-2014, 08:13 AM
 
Location: broke leftist craphole Illizuela
10,326 posts, read 17,346,396 times
Reputation: 20321
Usually when the app process turns into employer stalking I just move on. If they don't respect your personal boundaries during the application process they probably won't when you are hired. Think about it they can monitor your every keystroke at work, video surveil you at the office, monitor your social media use. It is not a situation I'd want to be in.
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Old 01-12-2014, 08:33 AM
 
10,599 posts, read 17,806,230 times
Reputation: 17350
Quote:
Originally Posted by StrangeAsAngels View Post
A potential employer send me some form to fill out that basically was a really nosy job application asking me to speculate on a lot of things like how I was perceived by my supervisors. This, of course, was on top of the resume I sent them and was terribly formatted so it took me HOURS to edit as a pdf.

In the college section, I was asked how I paid for college. Is that legal? I don't think it's any of their business how I paid for college and found a number of these questions really inappropriate and not relevant to whether or not I'm qualified for the job.
That is outrageous and obnoxious. I would have a FIT!

Oh yeah, I'd give them a completely obtuse answer like some that were offered. "Semester by semester".
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Old 01-12-2014, 08:51 AM
 
2,971 posts, read 3,393,074 times
Reputation: 4243
Say you sold stuff on eBay, so there you have some online retail experience.
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Old 01-12-2014, 09:20 AM
 
Location: Berkeley Neighborhood, Denver, CO USA
17,676 posts, read 29,589,839 times
Reputation: 33222
Sold "agricultural products" to fellow students.
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