A job interview is stressful enough, let alone when you have to deal with illegal questions that may throw you off, therefore leading to you not getting the job.

While some of the questions that employers are prohibited from asking may seem obvious, it is good to review such items before you go on that interview, be it in person or over the phone.

In the event you are preparing to interview for any type of job, take note that you cannot be discriminated against due to your race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, or marital status.

If you are wondering which specific questions an employer may not ask of you, they include:

• What country did your parents originate from?
• Were you born in the United States?
• Do you have children and if so, how many?
• Are you pregnant?
• How much do you weigh?
• What medications are you currently taking?
• Have you ever been treated by a psychiatrist?

At the end of the day, an employer must be able to show that any questions asked do not illicit information other than that which is critical to evaluation of an individual’s qualifications for the job.

In the event you have been faced with an illegal question or two, you do have several areas of recourse.

First, you can answer the question, thereby showing the employer that you are not hiding anything.

On the flip side, it may give the interviewer more latitude to throw additional illegal questions at you, figuring you are not up to date on the laws. If you stumble on one or more of the questions, it could decrease your chances of getting the job.

Secondly, you can do what is legally your right and not answer the question.

By doing so, however, you could come across like you’re hiding something, although you in essence are not doing anything wrong.

Lastly, you can relay to the interviewer that you know what is and is not legal to ask of an applicant.

While it may not please the interviewer with not giving them the information they are fishing for, you are also showing them that you are up to speed on the laws.

When all is said and done, there are actually two interviews going on during your job interview.

While a company representative is interviewing you, you too are interviewing the company, getting a feel for their culture and how employees are treated should you become one of them.

If you feel the treatment is less than acceptable, you may not want to work for this company in the first place should you be offered the job.

Dave Thomas, who covers among other items starting a small business, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.