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While all IT recruiters and IT managers tend to know that it’s illegal to ask IT professionals if they have children or are married during interviews for IT jobs, sometimes it still happens.  Even if the question doesn’t come up explicitly, IT contractors should know how to handle their various familial obligations in interviews.

The first thing IT consultants want to take into consideration is that they would do best to avoid being defensive or difficult when it comes to familial obligations—or any other topic—in a job interview.  Even if they’re asked an illegal question, it won’t help to respond by pointing it out combatively.  Give an answer that focuses on how committed you are to your job, whether you have familial commitments or not.  The key is to provide the interviewer with what they’re looking for: a promise to be a fully present, committed employee.

For those IT professionals looking to test out the waters on how well a job will fit with their family commitments, the protocol is a bit different.  While you don’t want to overemphasize your commitments outside of work, you can ask a question or two at the end of the interview about the hours/commitment expected.  Being vague is the key here.  Later, doing research via connections, Glassdoor, and recruiters, will be the time to be a bit more honest about your obligations.