Navigating the Job Search in the New Normal: 7 ‘outdated’ questions you must complete

With unemployment at an all time high of 1.4 million more people than ever are in the job market. As you’re searching for a job you are bound to see outdated questions on job applications. Are you ready to answer them? 

“Look after unemployment and the budget will look after itself.”

 - John Maynard Keynes

Here are 7 questions that appear to be outdated or discriminating on job applications nowadays however they do still have more significance then one would think. We’ve added some tips to successfully navigate through them.

1. What extracurricular activities did you participate in during high (college) school? If you are an older applicant, this question seems irrelevant. However, if you are a younger applicant this is an opportunity to demonstrate skills you have with minimal workforce experience. Extracurricular activities include any sports, band or clubs in either high school or college. Even if it was 20 years ago, still complete this question, show your ability to work on a team, to go the extra mile and the likelihood that you developed strong interpersonal skills. 
2. What was your overall GPA? The best tip here is to order a copy of your transcripts if you don’t have them already so you can accurately report it. Some companies may also require a scanned copy of an unofficial transcript to upload as part of your application. This ensures the hiring agent knows you have the conferred diploma and/or degree meeting the minimum education qualifications. 
3. What is your typing speed and are you willing to take a typing test? One may wonder who still uses a ‘typewriter’ anymore and while autocorrect is a built-in function in most computer programs many positions such as administrative assistants, secretaries, transcriptionist, still require that you can type quickly with few errors. Not to mention being able to type 40 words a minute with less than 5 errors demonstrates efficiency to an employer. 
4. What volunteer activities do you participate in? This question typically appears in applications where community service is a part of the mission of the organization. This is another way like extra curricular activities to gauge leadership and teamwork. There are a variety of activities: coaching a child’s sports team, mentoring children in groups such as the Boys & Girls club, and participating in events at a child's school. If you are worried of possible bias issues it is recommended to use general terms such as “local choir,” “state historical membership,” or “local political association.”
5. What is your last date of employment (and it ‘forces’ you to enter a last date of employment)? This is typically an issue with the formatting in the web application process, essentially a design flaw. Best practice, enter the date you are completing the application so you can move to the next field in the application.
6. Can we contact your past employer, (but that employer is closed or uses the worksource number)? If you don’t select “yes” will you be automatically disqualified? According to Heidi Cope, most employers will not reach out until you are one of the final candidates so there really is no harm in selecting “yes.” There are indeed a few good reasons why you might check “no” for example: you are currently employed and they do not know you are looking, and your past employer is no longer in business.
7. What office equipment do you know how to use? This is not as outdated as you may think, just changed a bit. Think about the office equipment that is still used now. For example, large copy/scanning machines, multi-line phones, computers (desktops/laptops), tablets, smartphones, and overhead projectors. If there is not a separate question for software knowledge, this is a good place to add in your software expertise such as Microsoft Office Suite, Google Drive, PeopleSoft, ADP, and Adobe, etc.

Honesty saves everyone’s time. 

When a potential employer requests information on an application, it may seem outdated, however if you choose to submit an incomplete application you more than likely will be by-passed. Applications are most often initially screened by a software program to weed out incomplete applications, GPAs that do not meet the standard, typing speeds that are subpar and so on. Be honest, accurate, and provide complete answers to each question asked on a job application to increase the chances your application reaches the hiring manager. 

If you come across other questions that seem to be 'outdated' let us know. Good luck on your job search & the ‘fun’ of the application process. 

Tami & Liz